The Mangalore International Airport is quite safe and complete. People of the region should act as its ambassadors and help in furthering airport’s growth, said outgoing Director of the Airport M.R. Vasudeva, who retired from service on Wednesday.
Speaking at a send off function organised by Airport Authority of India, Mr. Vasudeva said Mangalore Airport was complete in all sense and had the best facilities. “The recent landing of the critical flight namely the Air Bus 310 (during the Haj Yatra) showed that the runway is capable of withstanding flight weighing 1.5 lakh kg,” he said. People need to remove apprehensions about the airport and feel free to make use of it, he added.
Mr. Vasudeva said the 2010 air crash had nothing to do either with the table-top runway or the airport system. But a lot appeared on television and newspapers that caused damage to the growth of the airport. He said the airport had the best navigational and communication facilities. The Mangalore Airport Fire Station had been winning the best fire station award for the last 10 years. The electric engineering division of the airport had provided beautiful approach lights on both sides of the runway.
Incidents such as beehive at the tail of an aircraft and wild buffalo running across the runway were among the routine ones seen in an airport. Such incidents should not be highlighted in a way that create a negative impression about the airport. “This is your airport. The progress or the downfall of it depends on you all.”
Mr. Vasudeva said the work he did at the Mangalore Airport was because of experience and support he gathered during his long service different airports of Airport Authority of India.
Regional Executive Director D. Devaraj, former Mangalore Urban Development Authority Chairman K. Thejomaya and art critic Prabhakar Joshi spoke.
Dharmadhikari of Srikshetra Dharmastala Veerendra Heggade felicitated Mr. Vasudeva and his wife Nagaratna Vasudeva on the occasion.
