Safe landing of Airbus 310 in M'lore Airport allays fears of safety

The safe landing of Airbus 310 in the new terminal of Mangalore Airport on Friday morning, has perhaps dispelled the fears on the safety of landing big aircraft in the Mangalore Airport to certain extent. It is for the first time the Mangalore Airport has handled a larger aircraft weighing 1.44 lakh kilograms, against the normal aircraft’s weight of 70000 kgs.

Airbus 310 belonging to White Airways from Portuguese is specially operated by Air India for Haj pilgrimage. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Airport Director M R Vasudeva said that the aircraft had finely landed without any errors by Commander Dias Gomes at 9.05 am.

Earlier, the aircraft operating from Mangalore used to carry 150 Haj pilgrims at a time, but this time the Airbus having the passenger capacity of 240, has been carrying 220 passengers at once, which is an chivement of sort for the airport, he said.

“The very fact that the Airbus has been landed safely, indicates that the air terminal here is quite safe to handle the larger aircraft,” he maintained.

He said the Mangalore Airport Authority has for the first time made all arrangements for the pilgrims at the old terminal of the Airport, thus contributing to the efforts of the Haj committee. With the Airport authority providing shelter, food, toilet and other facilities to the pilgrims, it must have saved at least Rs 40 lakh for Haj committee, said Vasudeva.

He also said the larger aircraft equipped for the purpose would also perhaps solve the confusion caused every year due to the delay in the arrival of Zam Zam water. Unlike every year, the sacred water need not be carried from Medina to Mangalore in Cargo, but the Airbus will have the capacity to carry the water. The pilgrims who used to wait for days for the arrival of water in Cargo in the previous years, can bring the water along with them in the Airbus this time, informed the Director.

In response to a query on Air Cargo Complex in the Airport, he said the process has seen a delay as the Airport Authority of India has sought for a feasibility report on the functioning of the complex. “We are preparing the report and we will submit it soon,” he said.