Mangalore : Confidence Building Top Priority of M R Vasudeva

Mangalore : Confidence Building Top Priority of M R Vasudeva
Daijiworld Media Network (FR)
Mangalore, Jul 15: M R Vasudeva assumed charge as the Airport Director of Mangalore Airport on July 14, 2010. Vasudeva has been transferred back to Mangalore from Coimbotore recently as the Airport Director in the level of General Manager.
When daijiworld contacted him to know his priorities on assuming charge at this crucial juncture, he stated that his foremost priority would be to undertake confidence building measures. “The public are unduly worried and I would like to reinforce our commitment to provide all safety and security measures in the airport to make it foolproof as much as possible. We will also ensure that we meet international civil aviation standards with the safety of passengers utmost in mind”, emphasized.
He denied the accusation that Mangalore being a table-top airport the runway is risky for landing. “The minds of the people are attuned to the oft repeated statements that table-top runways are hazardous, which is wrong. When a runway is made, it is made with a specific dimension whether it is on a hill top or on a plain ground and aircraft has to land there within that specific dimension. The pilot has to land the plane in that particular strip and all pilots are trained for that”, he asserted.
He also assured that airport would take necessary safety measures to get rid of all undue worries in public mind. He said sand arresters will be provided at the end of the runway as part of the safety measure. Vasudeva pointed out that there has been an increase in the number of passengers flying from Mangalore, as compared to last year. The number of passengers who travelled from Mangalore was 56,000 in June 2009, where as by June 2010 it rose to 63,000, which signifies that there has been an increase in the passengers who fly.
Without giving a specific date Vasudeva said that the New Integrated Terminal Building (NITB) will be thrown open to passenger traffic within the next 8 to 10 days. He will also have to oversee the all important task of extending the runway from the present 8,000 feet to 9,000 feet, to include a larger spillover area as part of the safety measure. The decision to extend the runway was taken by the Civil Aviation Ministry after the Air India Express crash that killed 158 lives in May this year.
With the much approachable and people-savvy Vasudeva as the Airport Director there is every possibility that the Mangalore International Airport will be able to win back the confidence of the people in the days to come.