The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has sanctioned two more aerobridges and parking bays at Mangalore International Airport. Director of the airport J.T. Radhakrishna told presspersons after inaugurating the flight catering services of Casino Air Caterers and Flight Services that the AAI has approved the two facilities two weeks ago.
Now, the airport has two aerobridges through which passengers can directly get into an aircraft from the terminal building.
18 monthsMr. Radhakrishna said that by adding two more aprons (parking bays), eight aircraft could be parked at a time. The airport now has six parking bays. He said the new facilities will take one-and-half years to come into being.
The Director said that the new air traffic control services complex-cum-control tower building at the airport would be commissioned in March or April. Though the building was ready, installation of wall glasses was pending. All the air traffic communication services, including area control services for over flying flights that fly (pass through) within 250 nautical miles radius of the airport without landing and taking off from airport, would be housed in the new building. The building was being built at an estimated cost of Rs. 20 crore. Now a majority of the air traffic communication facilities were at the old terminal building.
Taxiway bidTo a question, he said the AAI had re-invited bids for constructing a 1,100m-long parallel taxiway because of some “administrative issues” in the bid invited for the first time. The taxiway connects the runway with the parking bay.
The parallel taxiway would reduce the waiting period of the departing flights at the parking bay to enter the runway by about 10 to 15 minutes if the departing time clashed with a landing flight.
ExportsMr. Radhakrishna said that aircraft operating from the airport carried a belly load of about 30-40 tonnes of cargo a month. Exports mainly constituted vegetables, fruits, polymers and fish. Imports included medical equipment, household goods and spirit.
