International status continues to elude Mangalore airport

"The stage is set. The lights are ready. When are you coming," was the response of Vasudeva Rao, director, Airport Authority of India (AAI) to a question on why the international flights to Mangalore are being delayed.

Speaking to Business Standard, he said the AAI has provided all the facilities needed for international flights to operate from Mangalore.

"The runway is ready, the lights have been provided. The customs department and immigration facilities have been provided at the airport. The passengers should demand and the airlines should operate the flights", he said.

The international flights were scheduled to operate on May 7, but later postponed to May 21. However, even that did not materialise.

On May 26 a chartered flight from Sharjah was expected to land at the airport. Alpine Travels of Bangalore through India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) had arranged a flight carrying 30 passengers from Sharjah.

The Russian-made Tupolev, TU 154, was supposed to drop passengers and return to Sharjah immediately. However, the flight was cancelled initially due to bad weather and later they did not get clearance from the Sharjah civil aviation authority.

"During the last five years Mangalore Airport has handled a passenger traffic of 2.77 lakh per annum, out of which more than 40 per cent is international", Rao informed.

Passengers of international flights generally come to Mumbai or Bangalore and take a flight to Mangalore. However, they are stranded for hours at the airport as they have to wait for nearly ten hours to take the connecting flight from Mumbai and so too wait for hours at Bangalore.

It may be mentioned here that all airports on the west coast of India are international right from Mumbai to Thiruvananthapuram except Mangalore.

Goa, Kozhikode and Kochi too have ports as well as international airports. "It will happen in the near future" says Rao. About 1,000 acres of land is required for Kannur to develop an international airport. "May be that will happen and not Mangalore", he added.

If Mangalore airport is declared international then flowers, perishable goods, fish and meat could be lifted from Mangalore which is in great demand by Mangaloreans in the Gulf.

As for the doubts that the flights may be diverted due to bad weather, he clarified that Mangalore has monsoons only for three months. Now it is the monsoon season. For the past 10 days out of the 90 aircraft to land at Mangalore airport only three were diverted which is an acceptable proportion. This happens at Delhi airport too, he added.

"Theoretically all facilities are in place at the airport including night landing facilities. Practically, the airport will attain international status only when an aircraft lands here. The director general of civil aviation will clear only when somebody comes in with an international flight," Vasudeva said.

Air India Express, which has indicated its willingness to start first international flight, is yet to finalise the date.