Airbus 310 maiden landing in Mangalore on September 28

Airbus 310 maiden landing in Mangalore on September 28

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Sept 27, 2012: Mangalore Airport has stepped closer to achieving the desired international airport status by hosting the heaviest of the medium to long-range twin-engine jet airliner Airbus 310.

The airport will be handling an airplane weighing 1.44 lakh kilograms for the first time in its history. M. R. Vasudeva, director of Mangalore Airport, told Deccan Herald that so far the airport was handling aircraft up to 70,000kgs.

Air India’s Airbus 310, which will leave to Medina from Bajpe Airport on September 28, will be operated till Oct 2. The aircraft can hold as many as 220 passengers in addition to the crew, said Mr. Vasudeva.

He announced that the Mangalore to Medina flight will land at 10:20 a.m. and will depart at 11:30 a.m., adding that as many as 1030 passengers are going on their Haj pilgrimage from Mangalore.

Further, he said that the airport is making arrangements for ground-handling equipment from Chennai to suit the prerequisite of this airport. Stating that the equipment is on its way, he said that the airport emergency service will be upgraded to category 8. This means that the airport will now have 3 fire engines instead of 2.

Stating that the runway of Mangalore Airport is currently 2.45kms, he said that this needs to be extended to at least 500m so that heavier aircraft can take off. The airport is waiting for the approval of higher authorities, he added.