Saturday, November 17, 2007

Mangalore: Deccan Aviation to Start International Flight from Bajpe Next Year


Mangalore: Deccan Aviation to Start International Flight from Bajpe Next Year
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (MM/NR)Pic - Ganesh S Perla

Mangalore, Nov 17: The Deccan Aviation Company will be starting an international flight from Mangalore international airport in 2008, informed Captain G R Gopinath, executive chairman of the company.
Delivering a talk on the topic ‘Opportunities and challenges in aviation industry,’ at Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) office here on Friday November 16 evening, he disclosed the above information. However, he did not say anything about the destination point.
Going back to his earlier days of struggle, he said that, when he had left the defence services, he had just Rs 6,380 which he got as gratuity. He also mentioned about how much he had to struggle in his life after that point. However, he firmly opined that one’s goals could be achieved if a person has commitment, passion and clear vision.
In his speech Captain Gopinath observed that he found billions of hungry consumers around him and he often thought about them. According to him the men on the street are regularly purchasing TV, fridge and other consumer items. However, when it comes to air tickets they were not buying any air ticket, owing to exorbitant rates. Hence, he thought of introducing this cheapest air service especially for the middle class people, he pointed out.
“Linking small towns to big capital cities is essential to increase the total air traffic segment. It is for this reason Deccan then introduced air services to smaller towns. With this in view, Deccan purchased several aircrafts within a few years what Indian Airlines could achieve in 50 years,” he proudly declared.
India and China are representing the dreams and future prospects of the world. India is today within range of such infinite possibilities. The country too is aspiring for such possibilities and this in turn has helped Deccan to achieve a lot to a large extent. Hence in this context he proudly predicted that the country is heading for a “Golden Age”
On the occasion Gopinath was felicitated by Ananthakrishna, chairman of Karnataka Bank, on behalf of KCCI. Ananthakrishna said that a person who takes unconventional decisions is always a successful person. According to him, Captain Gopinath took such unconventional decisions and achieved success in his work. He ensured that, a person from the agricultural field also can fly in aircraft. Nowhere in any other part of the country this kind of attempt has been made, Ananthakrisha eulogized about Captain Gopinath.
KCCI president Kumble Narasinha Prabhu, office-bearers Ahmed Bava, Shrinivas S Kamath, Shekhar Poojary and Mohandas Prabhu were present on the dais.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Mangalore: Non Arrival of Flight Irks Passengers at Bajpe Airport

Mangalore: Non-arrival of Flight Irks Passengers at Bajpe Airport
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (KD/NR)
Mangalore, Nov 13: Due to the non-arrival of the flight, passengers of Mangalore-Dubai flight vented out their ire against the Air India Express staff at Bajpe airport here on Monday, November 12.
For some time there was a tense situation prevailing at the air port premises. However the authorities concerned including the airport director M R Vasudeva quickly took matters in hand and intervened, thereby bringing the tense situation under control.
Vasudeva informed about the reason for delay in the said flight. According to him the flight was scheduled to arrive at 11:15 am from Calicut and expected to leave for Dubai at 12:00 pm, but then it was held up in Abu Dhabi following a technical snag. Hence this rendered the pilot helpless to remedy the situation.
As regards the delay in the flight arrival, this matter was informed to a few passengers but the remaining 75 passengers were not informed that the flight will not be arriving on Monday, leaving them in a lurch.
Vasudeva clarified that the authorities concerned had made all necessary arrangements for the passengers to stay in a hotel and had also paid a sum of Rs 1000 each to the uninformed 75 passengers as compensation.
However, the major grouse of the passengers was that they were not informed in advance, thereby causing a great deal of inconvenience for them.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Airport New Terminal Building Ready by April 2009

The Hindu
Mangalore, Nov 10: The additional premises of Mangalore Airport at Kenjar comprising new runway and terminal building will be completely functional by April 2009, said Transport, Civil Aviation and Tourism Parliamentary Standing Committee Member B Janardhana Poojary.
“As per contract, the works of terminal building will be completed by September 2008. Later, the offices of various aviation companies will also be shifted to the new premises. Thus, the new set up will be totally commissioned by April 2009,” he stated.
Poojary, who is also the member of Rajya Sabha, visited the airport on Friday and inspected the progress of the ongoing constructions. “About 35 per cent of the total construction has been over. A sum of Rs 55 crore has been spent for the new runway. Besides runway, the total project expenditure is Rs 147 crore,” he stated.
The upgradation works of the entire airport will cost Rs 210 crore. If a new proposal is sent for additional amount apart from the already sanctioned money (Rs 147 crore), that will also be provided. There is no scarcity of finance, he noted.
Nearer to Mangalore
The new Integrated Passenger Terminal Building being built at Kenjar for the past 4 months is about 16 km away from the City. The present Bajpe airport is at a distance of 8 km from this new set up. Thus, airport facility will be further nearer to the customers in the days to come. The new runway is 8,038 ft in length; 150 ft in width. The old runway is of 5,330 ft length. There will be 28 check-in counters in the new terminal building.
The State government has owned the responsibility of rehabilitating the displaced as a result of the new project. Most of the residents have already shifted. But there are still 20 families, out of whom many have agreed to be shifted. The set us is being laid in an area of 40 acres. If car parking space included, it will be 70 acres. The overall area to be used for the airport is 47,000 sq km Poojary explained.
Airport Director M R Vasudeva said the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest has just given green signal for the new set up just two days back. He said the present airport at Bajpe will be used for cargo movement, landing and take off of corporate and small flights.
Poojary expressed his satisfaction towards the speed in which the total project is progressing.