Mangalore International Airport (IATA:IXE,ICAO:VOML) (also known asMangaluru International Airport) is aninternational airport[6] serving the coastal city ofMangaluru in the state ofKarnataka,India. It is one of only two international airports in the state, the other beingKempegowda International Airport in the capital city ofBengaluru. Mangalore International Airport is the second-busiest airport in the state. In addition to domestic destinations, flights depart daily for major cities in theMiddle East. The airport was named Bajpe Aerodrome, when it opened on 25 December 1951[2] by the former andFirst Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru, who arrived on aDouglas DC-3 aircraft.[2][7]
The airport is nearBajpe, around 13 km (8.1 mi)[8] northeast ofMangaluru city centre. It is on top of a hill, with twotabletop runways (09/27 and 06/24). Only two other airports in India have tabletop runways –Kozhikode andLengpui.[9] The very small and basic terminal was renovated in the early 2000s, adding parking controls, additional seating and additional cafés. The airport was initially used for limited domestic flights, mainly toMumbai andBengaluru.
The operation of international flights started in 2006 withAir India Express flying toDubai. Mangalore Airport was acustoms airport[10] for six years, from 3 October 2006 to 3 October 2012, before it was granted the status of international airport.[11]
Until 2005, the small 1,600 m (5,249 ft)runway meant the airport could only handleBoeing 737-400 size aircraft. The longer runway now handles slightly larger aircraft. On 10 January 2006, anAirbus A319 ofKingfisher Airlines landed on the new runway.[12] On 28 September 2012, anAirbus A310 landed for the first time at Mangaluru. It was a charter flight for theHajj pilgrims toMecca,Saudi Arabia.[13]
From 2011 to 2012, the airport had a revenue of₹426.4 million (equivalent to₹800 million or US$9.5 million in 2023) and an operating profit of₹87.6 million (equivalent to₹170 million or US$2.0 million in 2023),[14] up from₹8.3 million (equivalent to₹25 million or US$300,000 in 2023) in 2006–07.[15] In 2012–13 the airport handled a landmark 1.02 million passengers with 11,940 aircraft movements.[14] The revenue for the same period was Rs 506.6 million, and it recorded an operating profit of Rs 164.9 million during 2012–13.[14] In 2013–14 it handled a 1.25 million passengers with revenues of Rs 638.9 million.[16]
In July 2019, the central government approved leasing of the airport through public-private partnership (PPP) to theAdani Enterprises, for operations, management and development for the next 50 years.[17] This airport is accredited by theAirports Council International (ACI) under the Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) programme.[18]
The first runway (09/27), 1,615 m (5,299 ft) long, was opened in 1951. It is atabletop runway, with landing approaches presented with the extreme edges of a hillside.[19][20] The edges of the hill drop into a valley from a height of about 90 m (300 ft) to 9 m (30 ft)) within a short distance of just 500 m (1,600 ft) on the east of the runway and from about 83 m (272 ft) to 25 m (82 ft) on the western side.[19] The runway was not level, with the height varying from 90 m (300 ft) to 83 m (272 ft) from east to west. Landing on this short runway was considered difficult.[19]
Mangalore Airport was the first airport in Karnataka to have two runways[21] and the first to have a runway made of concrete.[22] The second runway (06/24), 2,450 m (8,038 ft) long, was opened on 10 May 2006. A Jet Airways flight from Bangalore with 95 passengers on board was the first to land on this runway.[23] The airport has acquired land to build a taxiway parallel to the new runway to reduce aircraft turnaround time.[24]
Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Praful Patel announced on 15 May 2010 that a work order for extending the runway to 2,740 metres (9,000 ft) would be issued soon.[25] After the crash ofAir India Express Flight 812, the minister reaffirmed on 30 May 2010 that the runway extension will take place and will take into account the spillover area required during an emergency.[26]
Safety improvements were implemented after theDirectorate General of Civil Aviation (India) (DGCA) identified this as one of the 11 airports in India as unsafe. Addition of a runway end safety area, ensuring proper markings on the runway, and proper maintenance of the basic strip were among the improvements.[27][28]
Since 1 September 2010, the airport is charging a user development fee (UDF) of₹150 (US$1.80) per passenger for domestic flights and₹825 (US$9.80) for international flights. This fee was approved by theCivil Aviation Ministry.[34]
As of 15 May 2010[update], 26 domestic flights and 52 international flights were operated every week.[35]
The construction of a newair traffic control (ATC) tower was completed in June 2014,[36] and commissioned for one-month trial on 19 January 2015.[37]
On 5 September 2013 the Airports Authority of India commissioned a DGCA approved advanced automated air traffic management system, replacing the older system.[38] The system enhances flight safety by providing flight plans, direction finders, and air-ground-data link messages.[38] This system processes radar feeds from Bangalore, Chennai, andThiruvananthapuram and displays them at Mangaluru.[38]
Spicejet DHC Dash 8-Q400 VT-SUE at Mangalore Airport
Since 2011 the old terminal has been used for direct flights toMedina,Saudi Arabia, for pilgrims undertaking theHajj.[39] In 2011 and 2012 chartered flights landed at Mangalore International Airport and carried passengers from the old terminal building.[13]
The Mangalore Airport Director announced on 28 January 2016 that theAirports Authority of India have handed over 1,600 square metres (17,000 sq ft) of space at the old terminal building to theIndian Coast Guard to set up an air station for its air operations.[40] The ICG proposed the stationing of two of itsDornier 228 aircraft at the air station.[40]
Mangalore Airport Terminal Building with all 6 aerobridges installed
* Currently the apron is connected to the edge of runway 06, and aircraft movements on the apron have to be stopped when a plane lands and can only resume when it reaches the apron.[41] A new 2,400-metre[42] taxiway will be built parallel to the runway and join the runway ahead of the landing threshold,[41] enabling aircraft on the apron to move towards the runway and hold, saving 10 to 15 minutes.[41] The construction work on the parallel taxiway started on 1 November 2014[43] and though slated for completion in September 2016,[44] only Phase I was completed by March 2017.[45]
The 812 crash inquiry recommendation forrunway lengthening not having been implemented due to funding obstacles, its length remains 2,450 m (8,040 ft).[46][47][48]
Passenger volume projections for the year 2025 made by the AAI while constructing the new passenger terminal were already exceeded in 2012.[49]
Commencement of wide-body aircraft flights from the airport, under a public-private partnership model, depending on allotment of 1 km2 (247.1 acres) of land from the government.[50]
KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) operates Airport low-floor Volvo bus services from Mangalore Central Railway Station andManipal to Mangalore International Airport.[70][71] Taxis ply between the airport and the city of Mangaluru. Prepaid taxi service is available around the clock at the airport counter in the arrival hall.
On 19 August 1981, Indian Airlines Flight 557, aHAL 748 VT-DXF overshot the 1,763 metres (5,783 ft) old runway 27 at Mangalore-Bajpe Airport in wet weather.[72] The aircraft came to a halt just beyond the runway edge. While there were no fatalities, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair and was written off. One of the passengers wasVeerappa Moily, then Finance Minister of Karnataka.[73] An investigation revealed numerous pilot-attributed errors: the aircraft's flaps had not been set to landing position, the aircraft had landed long on the downsloping runway, at excessive speed and with a tailwind. The aircraft involved was HAL 748 VT-DXF, with manufacturer's serial number 511;[72] it first flew in 1967.
On 22 May 2010,Air India Express Flight 812, aBoeing 737-800 VT-AXV, flying on the Dubai-Mangalore route, overshot the 2,448 metres (8,033 ft)runway number 06/24, killing 158 people, including 6 crew members; only 8 survived. The aircraft overshot the runway and plunged into a steep gorge at the end of the runway.[74] The starboard wing impacted the concrete socket of theinstrument landing system (ILS) localiser antenna, rendering it unusable.[75] This resulted in delayed or cancelled flights for two weeks during the monsoon rains, which reduced visibility.[75] It took the airport a little under a month to repair and calibrate the ILS and bring it back online.[76]
15.4%
67.2%
Media related toMangalore International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
