Mangalore, 26 December 2010: Mangalore Airport completed 59 years on Saturday 25th December 2010 and stepped into 60th year. In these six decades the airport had grown into a modern airport today. The airport was inaugurated on 25th December 1951 by Pandith Javaharlal Nehru, who was the Prime Minister of India at that time.
The airport was then progressed into development stage by stage. Planes from Mumbai and then from Bangalore started flying into Mangalore Airport. In 2006 for the airport catered to the demands and first time the International flights started landing. Air India Express started its flights from Dubai to Mangalore, followed by flights from Doha, Bahrain, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Muscat and so on. In May 2010 Dubai – Mangalore flight crashed and 158 passengers died, due to pilot error as reported.
Mangalore airport has a second runway. The airport caters over 5 lakhs passengers. The new terminal is closer to Mangalore city by 5 kilometers. Though there are international flights flying, the airpot is not international yet. There is demand for the extension of the runway from 8,250 feet to 9,000 feet. Will this be a International airport in the days to come? We will have to wait and see.