First Flight Anniversary: A Year since the Map of Mangalore Changed

Compiled by Melka Miyar - Pictures: Dayanand Kukkaje

October 3, 2007
720 international flights have landed in Bajpe Airport. Now the door is open for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Muscat from here. About 6 lac passengers have used this airport over the past one year. Out of these, around 1.07 lac are international passengers
It is the first anniversary celebration for all those who are enjoying the benefits of the landing of the first-ever international flight at Bajpe on October 3, 2006.
Mangaloreans back home and abroad were overwhelmed when the historic Air India Express touched the new runway at the airport on that momentous day. Thousands of people, including India's civil aviation minister Praful Patel and a number of other state and union ministers and top officials, had then welcomed the maiden flight's passengers at Bajpe.
A year has passed, with many milestones crossed since then, and the first flight heralded flights to many more destinations. Within five months, Abu Dhabi-Muscat-Mangalore connectivity was introduced, followed by Doha-Bahrain-Mangalore in the following month.
Moreover, on the economic front, Mangalore has seen tremendous growth, with an added advantage of an all-weather international sea-port. Huge investments in the pipeline, multinationals have set their food outlets, property prices shot up and lifestyle has changed. Many new players in commercial activities have shown interest in investing in Mangalore.
In a word, Mangalore has shown signs of a fasting-growing commercial hub of the nation. Except the pathetic roads, many things have shown progress in positive directions.

Air-borne good news
From October 28, 2007 Air India Express will be flying on a daily basis from Dubai to Mangalore.
There are other two destinations under immediate consideration by Air India express. The officials are very hopeful of Kuwait-Mangalore and Salalah-Mangalore flights being launched very soon.
The only destination left out is the Saudi Arabia sector. Pending execution of a bilateral agreement, this destination needs to wait for some more months, unless any private airline takes the initiative of grabbing the opportunity.
On account of the successful completion of the first year of operation, Air India Express COO Capt P P Singh, Mangalore Air India chief Ms Chellam Prasad and indeed Bajpe airport director M R Vasudeva, a Mangalorean and the architecht of tremendous development work, including the international flights, that all Mangaloreans would be proud of, spoke exclusively to daijiworld on this glorious achievement.

"Mangalore has been one of the major sectors for us..." - Captain PP Singh

Mangalore has been one of the major sectors for us. We had begun 3 flights from Dubai and later on we added two from Abu Dhabi-Muscat and another two from Doha-Bahrain.
In the past year, we have had more than 90 per cent load in the Dubai sector, around 80% on the Abu Dhabi-Muscat sector. Doha-Bahrain was not much of an encouraging sector, with around 65-70% load, but we are expecting a higher load factor this winter schedule.
Taking into account all this, we have planned to introduce daily flights to Dubai, 4 to Abu Dhabi-Muscat and 3 to Bahrain-Doha in the coming winter schedule, although we have not published this yet. We will include additional flights at the earliest.
P P singh added that the "latest development is that we have detached the Dubai flights from Amritsar-Delhi route, and instead linked it to Calicut, thereby solving the recurring problem of fog, which inconvenienced a large number of Mangaloreans with the resultant delays last winter. Since initially heavy pressure was exerted on us, we had no option but to introduce these flights from Delhi-based aircraftd because of limited aircraft that time. But now we have enough number of aircraft and we can think of new options.
Mangaloreans are lucky to have someone like Rajesh Sequeira, coordinator of the Karnataka NRI Forum, who has been with us not only to start the operations to Mangalore but to bring in new destinations. His support and suggestions have helped us as an airline, since being in the avaition field, he is well-versed with everything. In accordance with his plea, we are going to introduce the Mangalore-Kuwait flight soon, which is yet another achievement for us. We are planning to operate flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

"It was a golden-lettered day....." - M R Vasudeva, director of Mangalore airport
October3, 2006 was a day, which should be regarded as the golden letter day in the annals of the Mangalore Airport, says M R Vasudeva, director of Mangalore airport.
"This is so because the first international flight landed here on that day. By now, about 720 international flights have landed here. Now the door is open for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Muscat from here. About 6 lac passengers have used this airport over the past one year. Out of these, around 1.07 lac are international passengers. A total 10% increase has been registered in the air traffic movement and 17% increase in passenger movement after the commencement of international flight here.
"Yes, there was pressure in handling the passengers in the initial stages. But now the pressure has been eased by improving the infrastructural facilities in the airport. Separate offices have been allotted to immigration and customs department. Therefore now there is not as much pressure as seen in the earlier days.
"Earlier, there used to be congestion at the departure zone. Now the congestion has been eased by extending the existing departure hall to the city side. At the same time, the airport authority has already jumped on the bandwagon of a new integrated terminal which is expected to be completed by December 2008 or January 2009. Apron, aerobridges and other necessary infrastructure will be constructed within this time-frame. But the delay in the acquisition of land has hampered the work on the new integrated terminal building. On the other hand, the construction of new road from the terminal building to the city needs to be completed before the terminal building work ends," said M R Vasudeva.

"Mangalore airport has started earning operating profit only after the commencement of international flight service by Air India Express..." - Chellam Prasad, Manager, Air India, Mangalore
When the international flight landed at Mangalore airport a year ago, there were many challenges on hand for the Air India Express officials, says Chellam Prasad, manager of Air India Express here.
Referring to the initial problems, it is quite common that lack of experience resulted in various difficulties. But many problems have been gradually solved over the last one year, she asserted.
International aircraft owned by Air India Express are only operating from Mangalore Airport. Because of the pressure from domestic aircraft during daytime, the Air India Express personnel had to start their work at airport only after 7 pm. Even they experienced the shortage of CISF personnel, immigration and customs problems, limited counter and had to manage with a single x-ray machine for both domestic and international flight customers. But the recent addition of facilities at the airport has created new hope and a sense of relief among Air India Express officials.
No doubt there is a good scope for the development of international passenger movement here. All flights departing from here bring in good amount of revenue for the airport authority and the airline exchequer. The Mangalore airport started earning operating profit only after the commencement of international flight service by Air India Express.
There is a huge demand from customers for Gulf flights. In each Dubai flight, an average number of 180 passengers fly from Mangalore. That is why flights will be increased to Gulf. Even people from Kannur in Kerala and Bhatkal in Karwar (Uttar Kannada) district use Mangalore airport to fly to Gulf countries, says Sanjay Lokeshwar, assistant officer of customer services here.
The Air India Express authorities are hopeful of introducing flight services to Kuwait from Mangalore. Even NRIs are demanding flights to Saudi Arabia. But the diplomatic issues have delayed the commencement of these flights. If the aircraft start flying to these countries, there will be a heavy pressure on Mangalore airport. Hence, the officials are demanding the completion of new terminal building as early as possible. The terminal building will come up soon if a dynamic person like M R Vasudeva will continue as the director of Mangalore airport for the next few years, says Sunil John, security in-charge of Air India Express.