M'luru International Airport to be upgraded

New radar to help pilots manage flights in bad weather: Airport Director Radhakrishna

The Mangaluru International Airport will get a parallel taxiway, a new control tower and a primary radar, Mangaluru International Airport director J T Radhakrishna.

Addressing mediapersons at the Mangaluru International Airport on Wednesday, the director said that the commissioning of the new radar will help in safe take-off and landing of airplanes even during bad weather.

The radar, however, will be instituted in a separate building. The Airport has already procured the equipment and the work to install it will commence in the new year, he added.

“The flight parking base and aerobridge will be improved. There are, at present, six parking bases. Work to construct three more will be completed by next June. Two additional parallel taxiways will be constructed by March 2016 and, with this, the Airport will be able to operate more flights,” he explained.

Radhakrishna said that work on the exit road too will be completed during the coming December-January period.

“The air traffic has increased by 20 per cent in the last six months – from April 2015 to September 2015. A total of 13 lakh passengers have travelled in the period. The Airport has been operating a new daily flight of Jet Airways to New Delhi at 7.30 am starting October 25,” he informed.

He, meanwhile, said that the extension of a runway is subject to procurement of land, which is in the hands of the State government. A request has been made to the government r to develop the road from the Konkan Railway bridge till Maravoor, he added.

Radhakrishna said that Mangaluru International Airport has been awarded the World Quality Commitment (WQC) Award at Paris, France and he received the award on October 25.

The award was presented by the Business Initiative Directions (BID) and the criteria of quality, leadership and excellence have been taken into consideration.

The BID has recognised the Airport based on the data provided by the Airport Council, and has presented the award based on the Total Quality Management model QC 100 of the Airport.

Radhakrishna said that during the last year, the customer satisfaction index has improved from 4.35 to 4.82. Also, the Airport has been given 4.92 points out of 5 in cleanliness.

CISF Deputy Commandant Amit Kumar, Air India Express Station Manager Nagesh Shetty, KCCI President Rammohan Pai Maroor and Pandit Resort President L Goel were present.