Staff Correspondent The Hindu
65 per cent of construction work is said to have been completed
MANGALORE: The construction of the new integrated terminal building at Mangalore Airport may be completed by March next, according to Oscar Fernandes, Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment.
Speaking to presspersons after inspecting the project site at Kenjar near the airport, he said 65 per cent of the work had been completed. It was scheduled for completion by March, 2009. The officials at the airport were hopeful of completing the work ahead of schedule, he said.
Mr. Fernandes said that if Mangalore airport was to be declared an international airport, it had to meet certain requirements for it. The terminal building taken up by the Union Government was part of those requirements, he said.
On the transfer of M.R. Vasudeva from Mangalore airport to Coimbatore airport on promotion as a director, at a juncture when the construction work was half way through, the Minister said: “He has been promoted based on seniority. His contribution to Mangalore airport has been identified.”
Asked if the director would be retained here till the terminal building was completed and commissioned, Mr. Fernandes said it was an administrative matter. “I have spoken to people concerned. Let us see how it works,” he said.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Mangalore Airport Director Promoted as GM of Coimbatore Airport
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)Mangalore, Sep 27: Though it is a perfect tribute to a man who is largely responsbile for upgrading the Mangalore airport to international level and putting in mammoth efforts for the setting up of the up-coming new airport terminal, it is a matter of disappointment for all the fans of M R Vasudeva, to know that they will be missing his services.
Daijiworld had earlier learnt, that he had been promoted as general manager and posted to Coimbatore international airport, and today, union minister Oscar Fernandes admitted at a press conference, that the airport director M R Vasudev has been transferred, just when the expansion project of the airport is on the verge of completion. He also added, that it was a promotion Vasudev richly deserved for his contribution to the development of this airport. He can be brought back at Mangalore airport once it is declared as an international airport, he explained.
Karnataka NRI forum, headed and founded by Rajesh Sequeira in Dubai, has arleady requested the Airports Authority of India to retain him in Mangalore airport in the promoted status, at least until the new terminal work is completed.
Terminal Will be Ready Soon: Oscar Fernandes
Oscar Fernandes, union minister for labour and employment, said that the new terminal building at the Mangalore airport will be ready soon, as the work pertaining to the foundation has already been completed.
Addressing the media after inspecting the ongoing work on Saturday September 27, Fernandes said, the airport would be declared international, as soon as the work is completed. He added, that 65 per cent of the work has been completed as of now and the remaining 35 per cent would be completed within a few days.
Expressing satisfaction at the progress of the work, Fernandes said, "I am very happy to watch the brisk progress of the work. The work will have to be speeded up further, for the early completion of the project. I thank the NRIs and even localites for showing an interest in having a new terminal for the Mangalore airport".
Daijiworld had earlier learnt, that he had been promoted as general manager and posted to Coimbatore international airport, and today, union minister Oscar Fernandes admitted at a press conference, that the airport director M R Vasudev has been transferred, just when the expansion project of the airport is on the verge of completion. He also added, that it was a promotion Vasudev richly deserved for his contribution to the development of this airport. He can be brought back at Mangalore airport once it is declared as an international airport, he explained.
Karnataka NRI forum, headed and founded by Rajesh Sequeira in Dubai, has arleady requested the Airports Authority of India to retain him in Mangalore airport in the promoted status, at least until the new terminal work is completed.
Terminal Will be Ready Soon: Oscar Fernandes
Oscar Fernandes, union minister for labour and employment, said that the new terminal building at the Mangalore airport will be ready soon, as the work pertaining to the foundation has already been completed.
Addressing the media after inspecting the ongoing work on Saturday September 27, Fernandes said, the airport would be declared international, as soon as the work is completed. He added, that 65 per cent of the work has been completed as of now and the remaining 35 per cent would be completed within a few days.
Expressing satisfaction at the progress of the work, Fernandes said, "I am very happy to watch the brisk progress of the work. The work will have to be speeded up further, for the early completion of the project. I thank the NRIs and even localites for showing an interest in having a new terminal for the Mangalore airport".
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Appeal to Minister to let Director of Mangalore airport continue
Staff Correspondent The Hindu
MANGALORE: Karnataka NRI Forum, United Arab Emirates, has appealed to Praful Patel, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, to let M.R. Vasudeva, Director of Mangalore airport, continue in the post here till the new integrated terminal building which is under construction is commissioned.
It has requested the Minister not to transfer Mr. Vasudeva as Director of Coimbatore Airport till then.Letter
In a letter to the Minister on September 23, a copy of which was released to the press, Rajesh Sequeira, coordinator of the forum, said: “…The news of him being transferred in the midst of a very strategic project is disheartening…”
“As the project is nearing completion and Mr. Vasudeva has been an integral part of it right from the start, it would be better if he is retained in Mangalore till the new integrated terminal is commissioned,” it said.
MANGALORE: Karnataka NRI Forum, United Arab Emirates, has appealed to Praful Patel, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, to let M.R. Vasudeva, Director of Mangalore airport, continue in the post here till the new integrated terminal building which is under construction is commissioned.
It has requested the Minister not to transfer Mr. Vasudeva as Director of Coimbatore Airport till then.Letter
In a letter to the Minister on September 23, a copy of which was released to the press, Rajesh Sequeira, coordinator of the forum, said: “…The news of him being transferred in the midst of a very strategic project is disheartening…”
“As the project is nearing completion and Mr. Vasudeva has been an integral part of it right from the start, it would be better if he is retained in Mangalore till the new integrated terminal is commissioned,” it said.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Mangalore: Airport Affected People Take Out Protest March
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Sep 10: Villagers of Malavoor, Kenjar and Adyapady took out a huge protest march on Monday September 8, protesting against the failure of the concerned in not properly re-habilitating them, after taking over their lands for the airport expansion.
The protest was led by the Dakshina Kannada District Dalit Sangharsh Samiti(DSS). The protestors came walking in a procession from Muranagar Junction and held a protest meeting at the airport gate.
The protestors said, that the district administration, central government, state government and the Airports Authority of India who took over their lands for upgrading the airport to the international standards, have forgotten about their sacrifice. These people are living under inhuman conditions now. They were paid only Rs 250 per cent of land, they said. The concerned including the deputy commissioner have been doling out promises of meeting our demands, since the last six to seven years. None of the promises have been fulfilled, they rued.
DSS state secretary M Devadas, district convenor Sundar Salian, stany Rodrigues etc., addressed the protestors, who numbered around 250.
Mangalore, Sep 10: Villagers of Malavoor, Kenjar and Adyapady took out a huge protest march on Monday September 8, protesting against the failure of the concerned in not properly re-habilitating them, after taking over their lands for the airport expansion.
The protest was led by the Dakshina Kannada District Dalit Sangharsh Samiti(DSS). The protestors came walking in a procession from Muranagar Junction and held a protest meeting at the airport gate.
The protestors said, that the district administration, central government, state government and the Airports Authority of India who took over their lands for upgrading the airport to the international standards, have forgotten about their sacrifice. These people are living under inhuman conditions now. They were paid only Rs 250 per cent of land, they said. The concerned including the deputy commissioner have been doling out promises of meeting our demands, since the last six to seven years. None of the promises have been fulfilled, they rued.
DSS state secretary M Devadas, district convenor Sundar Salian, stany Rodrigues etc., addressed the protestors, who numbered around 250.
From a scrubby airstrip to an international airport
Sudipto Mondal The Hindu
‘Years ago, it was only a clearing amidst palm trees’
The infrastructure development has kept pace with airline revolution, says a traveller
According to a businessman, its contribution to city’s economy is enormous
MANGALORE: Eulalia D’Souza (45) knows the Mangalore Airport since the time it was a scrubby airstrip. She has witnessed its growth into an “airfield” and then into a full-fledged airport from the time she was just a little girl waving excitedly at the occasional planes that landed there to an independent career woman, who flies as frequently by the aeroplanes as she undertakes shopping.
Ms. D’Souza, who is now the chairperson of the Tourism Sub-Committee (Airlines) of the Kanara Chambers of Commerce and Industry, has managed to preserve vivid memories of how the airport was like and its metamorphosis into its present status of an airport. “As a child I used to often accompany the elders to see off or receive a relative at the airport. In those days, it was nothing more than a clearing in the palm trees,” she said. Early days
According to her, there was nothing to deter people from walking onto the tarmac apart from the fear of being run down by a plane. “There was no wall and not a barricade either,” she said. Apart from a sleepy guard, who would occasionally shoo away children and animals straying on the tarmac, the place was a “yes thoroughfare”. “Those were the days when it was called the table-top airport.” Change
But times have changed and the airport is now being seen as a symbol of the region’s coming of age. “The growth of the airport has mirrored the economic growth of the region and its people,” said General Manager of Corporation Bank B.R. Bhat. More Mangaloreans have taken off in the last decade than ever before.
“But what is significant is the number of people that have flown into the city, bringing along with them, business opportunity and prosperity,” he said.
According to Mr. Bhat, the infrastructure at the airport has kept pace with the airline revolution of the last decade. “In the end, it benefited not only fliers but also the local economy,” he said. Economic advantage
Mohammed Eshaque, proprietor of “Bamson”, a tourism company that owns 12 cabs, said: “Ten years ago, we started with one car and today we have a fleet of 12 besides another 12 cars attached to us. If it were not for the airport, this would never have happened.”
According to Mr. Mohammed, the largest chunk of his business comes from the corporate sector. “In a day, we make at least 20 trips to the airport and back.
While we get several long distance trips too, travelling to the airport is the staple source of revenue,” he said. Carlton Misquith (25), a non-resident Indian, who has been flying into the city since his childhood, however, counts on a few problems with the airport.
“I know it is unfair to compare it to Heathrow or even the Delhi airport, but the infrastructure can be much better,” he said through an e-mail. According to him, the passenger waiting area, hospitality and the appearance of the airport, needed to be improved. Picturesque
However, he feels that the Mangalore Airport is one of the most picturesque in the world.
“One look at the airport after you are airborne makes you forget all the problems you face when you are down there,” he said.
‘Years ago, it was only a clearing amidst palm trees’
The infrastructure development has kept pace with airline revolution, says a traveller
According to a businessman, its contribution to city’s economy is enormous
MANGALORE: Eulalia D’Souza (45) knows the Mangalore Airport since the time it was a scrubby airstrip. She has witnessed its growth into an “airfield” and then into a full-fledged airport from the time she was just a little girl waving excitedly at the occasional planes that landed there to an independent career woman, who flies as frequently by the aeroplanes as she undertakes shopping.
Ms. D’Souza, who is now the chairperson of the Tourism Sub-Committee (Airlines) of the Kanara Chambers of Commerce and Industry, has managed to preserve vivid memories of how the airport was like and its metamorphosis into its present status of an airport. “As a child I used to often accompany the elders to see off or receive a relative at the airport. In those days, it was nothing more than a clearing in the palm trees,” she said. Early days
According to her, there was nothing to deter people from walking onto the tarmac apart from the fear of being run down by a plane. “There was no wall and not a barricade either,” she said. Apart from a sleepy guard, who would occasionally shoo away children and animals straying on the tarmac, the place was a “yes thoroughfare”. “Those were the days when it was called the table-top airport.” Change
But times have changed and the airport is now being seen as a symbol of the region’s coming of age. “The growth of the airport has mirrored the economic growth of the region and its people,” said General Manager of Corporation Bank B.R. Bhat. More Mangaloreans have taken off in the last decade than ever before.
“But what is significant is the number of people that have flown into the city, bringing along with them, business opportunity and prosperity,” he said.
According to Mr. Bhat, the infrastructure at the airport has kept pace with the airline revolution of the last decade. “In the end, it benefited not only fliers but also the local economy,” he said. Economic advantage
Mohammed Eshaque, proprietor of “Bamson”, a tourism company that owns 12 cabs, said: “Ten years ago, we started with one car and today we have a fleet of 12 besides another 12 cars attached to us. If it were not for the airport, this would never have happened.”
According to Mr. Mohammed, the largest chunk of his business comes from the corporate sector. “In a day, we make at least 20 trips to the airport and back.
While we get several long distance trips too, travelling to the airport is the staple source of revenue,” he said. Carlton Misquith (25), a non-resident Indian, who has been flying into the city since his childhood, however, counts on a few problems with the airport.
“I know it is unfair to compare it to Heathrow or even the Delhi airport, but the infrastructure can be much better,” he said through an e-mail. According to him, the passenger waiting area, hospitality and the appearance of the airport, needed to be improved. Picturesque
However, he feels that the Mangalore Airport is one of the most picturesque in the world.
“One look at the airport after you are airborne makes you forget all the problems you face when you are down there,” he said.
AAI to extend new runway at Bajpe
Raviprasad Kamila The Hindu
It will help in handling operations of larger aircraft at the airport
Bajpe airport now handles aircraft with a seating capacity of 186
Concrete runway will be extended to a length of 2. 8 km
MANGALORE: Mangalore Airport is all set to prepare itself to receive larger aircraft by late next year. It will even be able to handle Boeing 747 with limited load.
The airport, which handles aircraft with seating capacity of 186 at present will be able to handle aircraft with 300 seats.
To facilitate this, the Airports Authority of India (AAI ) has allowed the airport to extend the length of the new concrete runway.
The airport at Bajpe has two runways.
The old bituminous (tar) runway having a length of 1.6 km and the new concrete runway with a length of 2.4 km.
Director of the airport M.R. Vasudeva told The Hindu that the AAI had approved the extension of the concrete runway by 350 metres. It will be extended on both the sides to take its length to 2.8 km. A tender would be called within a fortnight.Work
The work will begin in November or December and will be completed in 2009. After due inspection by the AAI authorities concerned and trial runs, larger aircraft will be allowed to land and take off from it.
By late next year, the extended portion of the runway could be put into use. He said that no private land need to be acquired to extend the runway. Mr. Vasudeva said that once the extended portion was ready, Boeing 767 aircraft can operate with full load. “Airbus 330 aircraft can also operate,” he said.
However, Boeing 747 can operate with a “restricted load” up to a maximum of 330 tonnes.
If it is to operate with its full loading capacity of 370 tonnes, the airport should have a runway of 3 km. Mr. Vasudeva said that presently aircraft such as Boeing 737-800, Airbus 321, Airbus 319 and Airbus 320 land at the airport.
He said that once the length of the runway was extended, airlines could operate larger aircraft having more seating capacity especially to West Asian countries.
The airport has flight service to five West Asian countries. Presently Air India Express, budget airlines of the Air India, operates all flights between Mangalore and West Asian airports.
Chellam Prasad, Station Manager, Air India, Mangalore airport, said that if the runway was extended, then Air India could examine operating larger aircraft to West Asian countries.
Pramod Nair, Station Manager, Jet Airways, Mangalore Airport, said that the total number of seats in Boeings 767 and 747 and Airbus varied depending on the number of business and economy class seat ratio.
It will help in handling operations of larger aircraft at the airport
Bajpe airport now handles aircraft with a seating capacity of 186
Concrete runway will be extended to a length of 2. 8 km
MANGALORE: Mangalore Airport is all set to prepare itself to receive larger aircraft by late next year. It will even be able to handle Boeing 747 with limited load.
The airport, which handles aircraft with seating capacity of 186 at present will be able to handle aircraft with 300 seats.
To facilitate this, the Airports Authority of India (AAI ) has allowed the airport to extend the length of the new concrete runway.
The airport at Bajpe has two runways.
The old bituminous (tar) runway having a length of 1.6 km and the new concrete runway with a length of 2.4 km.
Director of the airport M.R. Vasudeva told The Hindu that the AAI had approved the extension of the concrete runway by 350 metres. It will be extended on both the sides to take its length to 2.8 km. A tender would be called within a fortnight.Work
The work will begin in November or December and will be completed in 2009. After due inspection by the AAI authorities concerned and trial runs, larger aircraft will be allowed to land and take off from it.
By late next year, the extended portion of the runway could be put into use. He said that no private land need to be acquired to extend the runway. Mr. Vasudeva said that once the extended portion was ready, Boeing 767 aircraft can operate with full load. “Airbus 330 aircraft can also operate,” he said.
However, Boeing 747 can operate with a “restricted load” up to a maximum of 330 tonnes.
If it is to operate with its full loading capacity of 370 tonnes, the airport should have a runway of 3 km. Mr. Vasudeva said that presently aircraft such as Boeing 737-800, Airbus 321, Airbus 319 and Airbus 320 land at the airport.
He said that once the length of the runway was extended, airlines could operate larger aircraft having more seating capacity especially to West Asian countries.
The airport has flight service to five West Asian countries. Presently Air India Express, budget airlines of the Air India, operates all flights between Mangalore and West Asian airports.
Chellam Prasad, Station Manager, Air India, Mangalore airport, said that if the runway was extended, then Air India could examine operating larger aircraft to West Asian countries.
Pramod Nair, Station Manager, Jet Airways, Mangalore Airport, said that the total number of seats in Boeings 767 and 747 and Airbus varied depending on the number of business and economy class seat ratio.
Bajpe airport ranks among the best in the country
Raviprasad Kamila The Hindu
It secured 86 per cent marks for customer satisfaction among the 25 airports surveyed in March this year
Established in 1951, it has grown tremendously in the last 10 years: official
Mangalore airport was credited with ISO 14,001 certification in 2006
MANGALORE: Once neglected as a “table-top airport”, the Mangalore airport is now counted among the most sought after airports in the country for the infrastructure it has developed. It has certainly given Mangalore a pride of place.
The airport at Bajpe securing 86 per cent “customer satisfaction” score in a recent national survey that covered 25 domestic airports is probably indicative of its growth. The survey undertaken by Spectrum Planning (India) Ltd for the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in February-March this year revealed that only Jammu airport could match Bajpe airport on customers’ satisfaction.
From handling 56 flights a week in 2005, the airport has come a long way. It now handles 280 flights a week – a five fold increase in a short span.Over 50-years old
Although the Mangalore airport was opened in December, 1951 it had remained dormant for several years. It came to limelight about three years ago, after the construction of a new concrete runway was taken up. Other infrastructure and commercial facilities were added subsequently. The airport witnessed a rapid growth after M.R. Vasudeva took over its reins as the director in 2004, according to Rajesh Sequeira, co-ordinator, Karnataka NRI Forum, U.A.E. “The NRIs in West Asia, particularly Dubai, will never forget October 3, 2006, when a passenger flight from Dubai landed at Mangalore airport for the first time,” he said. “The main beneficiaries of the airport are the NRIs of Mangalore and North Kerala origin residing in different countries of West Asia,” he said. According to him, the NRIs now need not fly to West Asian countries via Mumbai. “We can save money and time,” he said and added, “without sacrificing comfort and convenience”. On his part, Mr. Vasudeva attributes the growth of the airport to financial and administrative support given by K. Ramalingam, Chairman, AAI. Evolution
The director said that the AAI deposited Rs. 50 lakh with the State Government in March, 1989 for handing over 186 acre for the construction of new concrete runway and terminal building. The State handed over the land for the runway in September, 2003 after a gap of 14 years. The construction of 2.4-km-long new concrete runway began in April, 2004 and completed in March, 2006. This is in addition to the old 1.6-km-long tar runway. Mr. Vasudeva said that although the State Government handed over the land records, not all the 208 project-affected families had vacated their lands. The airport authorities had to convince people to vacate their land. In addition, the AAI had to face opposition from the Vimana Nildana Vistarana Virodhi Samiti, a forum of people, who opposed the expansion of the airport. “The real challenge was in shifting a church, a mosque and a “daivasthana”, a place of spirit-worship, from Adyapady village for constructing the new runway,” he recalled.
Construction of the new air-conditioned arrival hall to accommodate 250 passengers at a time, expansion of departure hall to accommodate even number of passengers, setting up of visitors’ gallery and anti-hijacking room, strengthening the apron, the parking stand for aircraft, to enable parking of four aircraft at a time, constructing a parallel taxi-way connecting two runways, opening a restaurant, providing two security hold areas to make passengers rest after checking in, are some of the other projects completed after 2005. In addition, the area control centre of the airport extended its air traffic services to over flying aircrafts from 13 hours to 24 hours. This helped pilots flying approximately 200 nautical miles of airspace from the centre of Mangalore Area Control Centre to get clear instructions for safe navigation to avoid collision. The airspace comprised parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and Maharashtra.
The AAI changed its Instrument Landing System (ILS) from offset ILS to category I-ILS for safe landing of aircraft during rainy season, cloudy weather and night time. A high-frequency radar was commissioned at the airport. Opening of two currency exchange counters, duty-free shops, ATM and a bank branch, a mini area traffic control tower, barracks for CISF personnel, quarters for employees are some of the other developments that have taken place at the airport.
The airport built a 8.5-km perimeter road around it to enable vehicles to reach any part of the airport premises at any time of emergency. A compound wall was also built.
The airport obtained ISO 9001 certification in 2004 for quality management system and ISO 14,001 certification in 2006 for environment management system. Passenger traffic
The Union Government declared the airport as a Customs airport in 2006.
The passenger traffic at the airport increased from 2.2 lakh in 1998 to 6.7 lakh in 2007.New terminal building
The new terminal building at Kenjar is coming up with associated amenities at an estimated cost of Rs. 147 crore. There will be two aero bridges, five parking stands, separate arrival and departure halls and other mandatory facilities there. It is expected to be completed by this year-end, Mr. Vasudeva said.
It secured 86 per cent marks for customer satisfaction among the 25 airports surveyed in March this year
Established in 1951, it has grown tremendously in the last 10 years: official
Mangalore airport was credited with ISO 14,001 certification in 2006
MANGALORE: Once neglected as a “table-top airport”, the Mangalore airport is now counted among the most sought after airports in the country for the infrastructure it has developed. It has certainly given Mangalore a pride of place.
The airport at Bajpe securing 86 per cent “customer satisfaction” score in a recent national survey that covered 25 domestic airports is probably indicative of its growth. The survey undertaken by Spectrum Planning (India) Ltd for the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in February-March this year revealed that only Jammu airport could match Bajpe airport on customers’ satisfaction.
From handling 56 flights a week in 2005, the airport has come a long way. It now handles 280 flights a week – a five fold increase in a short span.Over 50-years old
Although the Mangalore airport was opened in December, 1951 it had remained dormant for several years. It came to limelight about three years ago, after the construction of a new concrete runway was taken up. Other infrastructure and commercial facilities were added subsequently. The airport witnessed a rapid growth after M.R. Vasudeva took over its reins as the director in 2004, according to Rajesh Sequeira, co-ordinator, Karnataka NRI Forum, U.A.E. “The NRIs in West Asia, particularly Dubai, will never forget October 3, 2006, when a passenger flight from Dubai landed at Mangalore airport for the first time,” he said. “The main beneficiaries of the airport are the NRIs of Mangalore and North Kerala origin residing in different countries of West Asia,” he said. According to him, the NRIs now need not fly to West Asian countries via Mumbai. “We can save money and time,” he said and added, “without sacrificing comfort and convenience”. On his part, Mr. Vasudeva attributes the growth of the airport to financial and administrative support given by K. Ramalingam, Chairman, AAI. Evolution
The director said that the AAI deposited Rs. 50 lakh with the State Government in March, 1989 for handing over 186 acre for the construction of new concrete runway and terminal building. The State handed over the land for the runway in September, 2003 after a gap of 14 years. The construction of 2.4-km-long new concrete runway began in April, 2004 and completed in March, 2006. This is in addition to the old 1.6-km-long tar runway. Mr. Vasudeva said that although the State Government handed over the land records, not all the 208 project-affected families had vacated their lands. The airport authorities had to convince people to vacate their land. In addition, the AAI had to face opposition from the Vimana Nildana Vistarana Virodhi Samiti, a forum of people, who opposed the expansion of the airport. “The real challenge was in shifting a church, a mosque and a “daivasthana”, a place of spirit-worship, from Adyapady village for constructing the new runway,” he recalled.
Construction of the new air-conditioned arrival hall to accommodate 250 passengers at a time, expansion of departure hall to accommodate even number of passengers, setting up of visitors’ gallery and anti-hijacking room, strengthening the apron, the parking stand for aircraft, to enable parking of four aircraft at a time, constructing a parallel taxi-way connecting two runways, opening a restaurant, providing two security hold areas to make passengers rest after checking in, are some of the other projects completed after 2005. In addition, the area control centre of the airport extended its air traffic services to over flying aircrafts from 13 hours to 24 hours. This helped pilots flying approximately 200 nautical miles of airspace from the centre of Mangalore Area Control Centre to get clear instructions for safe navigation to avoid collision. The airspace comprised parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and Maharashtra.
The AAI changed its Instrument Landing System (ILS) from offset ILS to category I-ILS for safe landing of aircraft during rainy season, cloudy weather and night time. A high-frequency radar was commissioned at the airport. Opening of two currency exchange counters, duty-free shops, ATM and a bank branch, a mini area traffic control tower, barracks for CISF personnel, quarters for employees are some of the other developments that have taken place at the airport.
The airport built a 8.5-km perimeter road around it to enable vehicles to reach any part of the airport premises at any time of emergency. A compound wall was also built.
The airport obtained ISO 9001 certification in 2004 for quality management system and ISO 14,001 certification in 2006 for environment management system. Passenger traffic
The Union Government declared the airport as a Customs airport in 2006.
The passenger traffic at the airport increased from 2.2 lakh in 1998 to 6.7 lakh in 2007.New terminal building
The new terminal building at Kenjar is coming up with associated amenities at an estimated cost of Rs. 147 crore. There will be two aero bridges, five parking stands, separate arrival and departure halls and other mandatory facilities there. It is expected to be completed by this year-end, Mr. Vasudeva said.
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