Flights to Pune, Kolkata soon from Mangaluru; train to Tiripati
Mangalore Today News Network
Mangaluru, Feb 23, 2019: Mangaluru will have flight connectivity to Pune, Goa (Dabolim), and Kolkata during the summer schedule of airlines which will come into effect from April, according to Nalin Kumar Kateel, Member of Parliament.
Additional flights to Bengaluru, and Delhi will also be introduced in the summer schedule, he said at a function organised to lay the foundation stone for the expansion of the terminal building and inauguration of passenger boarding bridges (aero bridges) advance visual docking guidance system at Mangaluru International Airport.
Presently the city does not have flight connectivity to Pune, Goa, and Kolkata. Later, MP stated that SpiceJet had shown an interest to introduce a flight to Goa; IndiGo to connect Pune and Delhi, and Air India to connect Kolkata and Bengaluru.
All the flights are expected to be operational within three months, he said.
While addressing the gathering at the function, MP Kateel said that Kannur International Airport in Kerala becoming operational recently will not affect the growth of the Mangaluru International Airport as North Kerala passengers will prefer to travel from Mangaluru owing to its proximity. The MP said that the Union government is ready to extend the runway at Mangaluru airport provided the State government hands over 84 acres required for the same to the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Though there is demand for 100 acres for extending the runway 84 acres would be sufficient now.
Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala said that when an airport is expanded and passenger traffic increased, the allied activities helped the common person by providing business opportunities.
Meanwhile, according to the AAI the terminal building will be expanded at a cost of Rs. 132.24 crore and is expected to be completed by April, 2020. By expanding an additional 11,343 sq.m. area will be added.
Now the terminal building is spread over 19,500 sq.m. area. When completed, the peak hour passenger handling capacity at the airport will be increased from 730 passengers to 1,000.
Later the airport would have two more baggage conveyors in international arrival and one more additional conveyor in domestic arrival. It will have two additional passenger boarding bridges.
Hassan-Tirupati train to Mangaluru, Kateel :
NaRailway Minister Piyush Goyal has approved the extension of the Hassan-Tirupati and the Madgaon-Dadar Jan Shatabdi to Mangaluru. The trains will be extended after Kumbh Mela, Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, said.
He has also sought change in the frequency of the operation of new train launched on Thursday. “Because of Kumbh Mela, many trains have been diverted and hence there is a problem in the operation on new routes. Once its over, Railways will give effect to the changed routes,” he said and added that the Railway officials have assured him of running 16585/16586 trains daily.
Stating that the rail network and related infrastructure in the Mangaluru region is set to witness a fast growth in the next five years, Mr. Kateel said works amounting to Rs. 70 crore have been taken up at Mangaluru Central.
The MP said that his initiative to hold quarterly meetings of Railway officials with officials from urban local bodies and agencies has helped to resolve issues hindering works.
He claimed he succeeded in getting the regional office of the Konkan Railway in Mangaluru. The MP said the Union government has spent Rs. 1,500 crore for improving the railway sector in Dakshina Kannada in the last five years.
On the pending demand of creating Mangaluru Railway Division, Mr. Kateel said legal issues in merging areas under the Southern Railway’s Palghat Divison, the South Western Railway’s (SWR) Mysuru Division, and the Konkan Railway needs to be resolved first.