Union Minister for Law and Justice M. Veerappa Moily said on Thursday that the new terminal building of Mangalore airport would be inaugurated after November 15.
He was speaking to presspersons after visiting the new terminal building, coming up at Kenjar, near Bajpe.
Mr. Moily said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would inaugurate the new terminal building. Mr. Singh would also inaugurate the Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ) during his visit here. Both the programmes would be scheduled together, he added.
V.N. Chandran, director of the airport, J.T. Radhakrishna, Deputy General Manager (Civil), and N. Prem Prasad, Deputy General Manager (Electrical), briefed the Minister on the progress of work at the new terminal building.
Construction
Mr. Moily found that the major work relating to construction of the building had been completed.
The director informed the Minister that the terminal building would be ready before November 15.
Aero-bridge
Later, Mr. Chandran told presspersons that an aero-bridge would have to be installed at the terminal building. It would be in place before November.
Land needed
Mr. Chandran said that he brought to the notice of Mr. Moily that the State Government had to handover 3.21 acres of private land near the new terminal building to the Airports Authority of India (AAI). There was a defunct building called Dakkan Park on that private land. As this building was close to the apron (parking stand for aircraft), it might pose a security threat to the airport.
The State Government should upgrade the Dakkan Park Road leading to the new terminal building at Kenjar. This road was being maintained by the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, he said.
Demand
Mr. Chandran said that there was a demand from passengers for creating flight connectivity between Mangalore and Jeddah, and Mangalore and Riyadh in West Asia. This was also brought to Minister’s notice, he said.
