Mangalore: No Scope for Bribe in Bajpe Airport says Customs Commissioner

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (MM/GA)
Mangalore, Apr 26: Speaking at a press conference held in the Custom's Commissionerate here on Thursday April 26 afternoon, Mangalore customs commissioner Dr John Joseph clearly denied charges of bribery levelled against the custom's commissonerate.
"In the last few days some of the newspapers have tarnished our image by publishing the news that the Commissonerate is involved in taking bribes at Bajpe airport. I strongly deny these false charges which are aimed at denigrating us in public's eyes. None of our officers has been involved in bribery and we would not tolerate any kind of bribery," he said.
Dr Joseph requested the passengers to lodge a specific complaint with the higher authorities if anyone demanded bribe from them at any point.
"Our task is to see that smuggled goods should not enter inside India. At the same time, Mangalore Customs Commissionerate is facing shortage of workforce to manage the activities at the airport," he said.
A total of 28 employees are required at the airport. But no employee has been recruited yet to handle customs operations. Hence the staff from the city are managing the airport work too in between their regular schedule. So there are some inconveniences at the airport, he admitted. But he ruled out any possibilities of corruption at the airport.
So far the Mangalore airport has the permission to handle bags and baggage only. Permission has not been given for handling cargo here. "But of late, MSIL has come forward to handle cargo at the airport. If MSIL develops the necessary infrastructure for handling cargo and fulfils the conditions put by Customs department, recommendation would be given for granting permission to handle cargo. For this purpose however 8 more customs staff are necessary," he added.
More details can be had by calling : + 91 824 2408164 (Commissioner), + 91 824 2408311 (Joint Commissioner).

Tips while Flying Air India Express

By Rajesh Sequeira
While making booking contact details of the Origin and Destination should be done (Mobile as well as Residence)
It is a good practice to write down your name and the address as well the contact details on your baggage’s
Carry the E-Ticket along with the passport (with Visa)
Hand baggage 7 kgs And check in Baggage 30 kgs (Gulf) and 20 kgs from Mangalore
Check your Departure timings 2 days prior Departure
Buy your tickets either from the net or from authorised agents

Contact Details

Dubai
Reservation
009714-2666950
Aiport
009714-2165828
09714-2165829
009714-2166666 (General Enquiry)


Abudhabi
Reservation
009712-6322300
009712-6322747
Airport
009712-5757033
009712-5052646

Mangalore
Reservation
0824-2493383
0824-2493875
Airport
0824-2220450
0824-2230451

Muscat
Reservation
00968- 24818488
00968- 24818666
Airport
00968-24510737


Doha
Reservation
00974 4418423
00974 4418424
00974 4411093
00974 4411069
Airport
00974 4622544

Bahrain
Reservation
0097317220787
0097317220788
0097317220789
Airport
0097317321284
0097317321285

Mangalore: Direct Haj Pilgrimage Flights from Bajpe Airport Sought

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (MB)
Mangalore, Apr 21: A memorandum requesting for direct flights from Bajpe airport to Haj pilgrimage centres in Saudi Arabia was submitted to union minister Oscar Fernandes on Thursday, by DK district minorities of Congress party president B A Mohiuddin Bava.
Fernandes assured of suitable steps for temporary arrangements for this purpose. He inspected the work in progress on the new international and domestic arrival halls in the airport complex at Bajpe and gave requisite instructions to the authorities.
Former Suratkal MLA Vijayakumar Shetty, Udupi district Congress president M D Ghafoor and others were present on the occasion.

Saudi Arabia: NRI Forum Presses for Dammam-Mangalore Direct Flights

Media release
Dammam, Apr 21: west coast NRI Forum, Saudi Arabia's office-bearers recently met Air India Al Khobar manager Deepak Anand to impress upon him regarding the need to commence direct flights from Dammam to Mangalore as early as possible.
The delegation led by forum president Farooque Sabandary comprised of organizing secretary Vishwanath Kamath, general secretary Narayan Bhat and lady member Nandita Vishwanath. They urged Deepak Anand to convince the Air India management to introduce direct flights at the earliest.
Deepak Anand responded highlighting the need of upgrading earlier agreement with the Saudi aviation ministry to include its subsidiary Air India Express. Communication with the Saudi avaition ministry is in progress and an NOC to commence direct flight from Dammam was expected soon, Anand said.
Air India management needs to appoint a GSA agent in Saudi Arabia for Air India Express which is under consideration. This would enable Saudi Arabia passengers to avail themselves of the ticketing facility to travel to Mangalore at least via Bahrain flight.
west Coast NRI Forum, Saudi Arabia, has recalled the magnanimity of Air India Express in introducing a direct flight on Bahrain-Mangalore- Bahrain sector every Tuesday and Sunday. Forum members, on behalf of passengers, expressed their desire to catch this flight which is possible only on issue of tickets in Air India Express from Bahrain and by travelling by bus from Dammam to Bahrain by via King Fahad causeway.
Deepak Anand further assured the delegation of impressing upon the Air India manangement to accord facility to avail this provision to travel via Bahrain to Managlore and vice versa. The forum members assured him of its fullest support and cooperation in this regard.
The forum members complimented Deepak Anand who was instrumental along with Mangalore airport director M R Vasudeva in getting the Managore airport survey done. It was with the efforts of both these officials besides others that Mangalore airport acquired international airport status. It has enabled Gulf passengers to enjoy the privileige of direct flights from their respective points of stay.
The forum members expressed the hope that their dream of direct flight on the Dammam-Mangalore-Dammam sector would be realized soon. The role of the West Coast NRI Forum towards the cause was appreciated by the Air India manager.
The West Coast NRI Forum recalled with gratitude the selfless support extended by M R Vasudeva and Karnataka NRI Forum UAE coordinator Rajesh Sequeira, and expressed their sincere thanks to them.
In addition, the forum members expressed their happiness towards the motivation provided by former Karnataka minister R V Deshpande, union civil aviation minister Praful Kumar Patel with their efforts in enhancing the overall development of Mangalore,Udupi and Uttar Kannada districts by linking the Gulf countries and the NRIs' constructive role in general.
The forum has also expressed the media support, especially from daijiword.com at the international level and Udayavani at the regional level, by exerting pressure on the officials concerned, to start direct flights from Saudi Arabia to Mangalore and has fervently requested them to continue their efforts in making their dream a reality.
Organizing secretary Vishwanath Kamath urged all concerned to support the long -waited dream of direct flight from Dammam to Mangalore. He also thanked Sukumar Bangera and Divji from Air India, Al Khobar for their support to the mission.
Besides, the forum has also thanked the Air India management, especially CMD Thulasidas and Air India Express chief P P Singh.

Kuwait: NRIs' Concern over Low Priority to Flights on Mangalore-Kuwait Sector

Media release
Kuwait, April 3: A delegation of Coastal Karnataka NRIs in Kuwait including the representatives from Mangalore have Kuwait's directorate general of civil aviation Fawaz Al-Farrah and congratulated him on his assuming the new assignment.
Delegation coordinator Pascal Pinto submitted a memorandum to him seeking his assistance in regard to the flights on the Kuwait / Mangalore sector. During the meeting Al-Farrah assured his support and positive action if the civil aviation ministry of India communicated with them to seek permission to operate national or private carriers on Kuwait / Mangalore route.
Pinto, who was joined by Hasan Yusuf, John Tauro and Shyamsunder Rao from DGCA Kuwait, thanked Fawaz Al Farrah for his encouraging stand in regard to Kuwait / Mangalore sector flights.
A member from the delegation said that it has been understood from the reliable sources that as a policy matter the government of India did not allow private airlines to operate on routes to Gulf and Saudi Arabia. Pinto highlighted the fact that Air India Express being a government airline was already operating between Mangalore and other major stations in the Gulf like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Doha and Bahrain and expressed happiness that Air India would also operate to Sharjah very soon.
However, the general feeling among the NRI’s of coastal Karnataka and northern Kerala in Kuwait is that their requirements have been given less priority as compared to UAE and other Gulf countries even though there is sizeable passenger traffic from Kuwait. The Mangalorean community keeps wondering, if Air India is capable to operate their flights from other Gulf sectors to Mangalore, why not on Kuwait / Mangalore sector?
Coastal Karnataka NRIs' delegation also said that from May 2005, they have been continuously following up the matter with Aviation Ministry of India, AAI and Air India for flights to Kuwait/Mangalore sector. The request memorandum was presented to the chairman of Air India on October 2, 2006, and the coastal NRIs and North Kerala NRIs in Kuwait are eagerly awaiting a favourable response from the authorities.
A spokesman in Kuwait said that most of the Coastal NRIs in Kuwait are of the opinion that now it is the duty of the civil aviation ministry of India to help the large number of NRI populace of the southern part of Karnataka including Mangalore and surrounding districts and Northern parts of Kerala living in Kuwait. Passengers hailing from coastal Karnataka and surrounding districts including North Kerala, whether families and bachelors, fly to Mangalore from Kuwait through Mumbai airport and other points in India. Passengers including women, children, the elderly and sick have to wait for several hours in connecting airports to get a domestic flight to Mangalore.
The memorandum also points out that the combined airfare of the international and domestic flights creates an additional burden to the NRIs. The basic need of a large number of NRI populace in Kuwait is to have flights on Mangalore / Kuwait sector, either by national carrier of India or national carriers of other countries as feasible or private airlines, if possible.
Coastal Karnataka NRIs from Kuwait are eagerly waiting for flights to Kuwait / Mangalore sector. It is high time that the civil aviation ministry of India and other concerned authorities of the government of India should help a large number of NRIs from Mangalore and surrounding districts who are working in Kuwait.
The supportive assurances given by the president of DGCA Kuwait with regard to Kuwait / Mangalore sector will favour the large number of Coastal NRIs in Kuwait in case the civil aviation ministry of India too join hands in supportive measures in this matter.

Live Video:Status Report on New Arrival Hall at Bajpe Airport

http://www.daijiworld.com/tvdaijiworld/tvhome.asp?tv_id=242

Mangalore: Status Report on Progress of New Arrival Hall at Bajpe Airport

Mangalore: New Dimension to Bajpe Airport
Duty-free Shop, Two Conveyor Belts Highlights of the New Arrival Hall
Report and pics by Viju Mangalore

Mangalore, Apr 1: This is not an April Fool joke, but an interesting fact about Bajpe Airport, which has seen tremendous growth during the last one year. All credit is to be given to the dynamic airport director M R Vasudeva.

Within a span of six months, now 9 international flights per week land on Mangalore soil which has given the much-needed boost to the airport. No doubt, Mangalore is one of the fastest growing cities in India, thanks to major development projects like the upgradation of the airport to international status and projects like ONGC, Nagarjuna and Special Economic Zone.
Now the good news for all domestic and international flight passengers at Bajpe Airport is the new arrival hall of 4000 sq ft area which is getting ready to operate by April end or early May 2007. The specialty of the new arrival hall will be a Duty-free Shop and two conveyor belts for the benefit of domestic and international passengers separately.
Apart from this, there will be a separate arrival gate for International passengers and separate customs and immigration halls.
Mangalore is on a development spree and the Bajpe airport is not lagging behind. The progress here in terms of increase in air traffic, infrastructure facility, upgradation and services is indeed a positive sign that trade, commerce and tourism will bloom shortly.

The work on the new terminal building (arrival hall) for Mangalore airport is progressing smoothly. The construction work began in October 2006 and has gained momentum and is nearing completion. The Rs 4.5-crore project will have a passenger handling facility which will be double the size of the present terminal.
Speaking exclusively to Daijiworld, airport director M R Vasudeva said that the space in the new arrival hall will be a boon to both domestic and international flight passengers.

The growth of Mangalore airport has been tremendous. The airport currently handles around 600 flights every month which is double the number handled last year.
Passenger traffic growth in January 2006 onwards has undergone a sea change. Around 2.77 lac passengers were handled in January 2006 and this doubled by January 2007 (5.8 lac).
The traffic growth, Vasudeva said, was due to increased operation of domestic and international aircraft. International aircraft have increased from 3 flights to 9 flights per week and domestic flights have increased to 10 flights per day.

The new arrival hall which will be ready by the end of April or first week of May will handle 250 passengers.
In case of further growth in air traffic, Vasudeva said, the new terminal will cater to international passengers and the existing will cater to domestic passengers. A new security hold area on the first floor of the present terminal building has been set up.
With the operation of the new arrival hall, the airport will be able to handle the passengers for the coming two to three years period. By the end of three years it plans to construct an integrated terminal building which will cut short the distance to Mangalore city by 8 kms. There is a plan to build three aero bridges. With this the airport will be equipped to handle around 500 passengers.
Bajpe Airport will soon stand along with India's topmost airports, as the existing terminal in the airport will be used for departures and the new hall under construction will be used exclusively for arrivals.