Mangalore : Honourable union minister for law and justice M. Veerappa Moily, inaugurated the diamond jubilee celebrations of Mangalore Airport organized by the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in the auditorium of St. Aloysius High School on March 13, Sunday.
Delivering the inaugural address, he said that Mangalore Airport will get the status of international airport by the end of this year.
He also said that, over 1.77 lakh passengers had boarded flights at Mangalore Airport in 2005 and this year, the number has gone up to 8.5 lakhs, 50 percent of whom are foreigners. The airport needs to be declared as an international airport for this reason alone, he said.
Chief guest MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said assured that the people of DK are not against development, but only against destruction in the name of development.
Deputy speaker N. Yogish Bhat, said that Rs. 15 crore has been allotted in the budget toward land acquisition to increase the length of the runway, adding that Rs. 35 crore is actually required for this project.
M. R. Vasudeva, the director of the Mangalore Airport, G. G. Mohandas Prabhu, the KCCI chairman also spoke on the occasion.
MLA Ramanath Rai, Ramanath Pradeep, the chairman and general manager of Corporation Bank; K. Thejomaya, the coordinator of the diamond jubilee celebration committee; were also present.