Forget expansion, Mangaluru airport’s runway length now cut by 120 metres

News Network
January 4, 2018

Mangaluru Jan 4: The New Year hasn’t brought good tidings for airlines operating from Mangaluru International Airport. From December 31, the runway length has been reduced by 120 metres. The development comes months after the Airport Authority of India decided to postpone the Airport’s runway expansion plan.

It means that of the 2,450m of runway available, only 2,330m will be available for safety purposes. It will not affect passengers per se, but there will be a load penalty on airlines, especially international airlines carrying cargo, which will have to be reduced.

Airport authorities have alerted pilots about the shortened runway due to insufficient Runway End Safety Areas (RESA) at both ends.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) resorted to this move since the Runway End Safety Area (RESA) at both ends of the runway was found to be insufficient. RESA is the surface surrounding the runway prepared to limit the damage when airplanes overshoot the landing/take-off area.

MIA Director V V Rao confirmed that the AAI has issued a notice in this regard. He said it was a temporary issue. The airport, he explained, would require about three acres of land to extend the runway (back to 2,450 metres). Once the state government allots the land, the runway would be extended.

However, the reduction in runway length will not affect any passenger aircraft landing at the airport. "This is not only for MIA. Such notices have been issued to Kozhikode and Kannur airports too," Rao said.

Sources maintained that the move will not affect passengers. But there will be a load penalty on airlines, especially international airlines carrying cargo, which will have to be reduced. The MIA has been airlifting about 50 tonnes of daily essentials every month, which contain 30 types of vegetables and five types of fruits to West Asia.

MIA Manager (Cargo) K A Sreenivasan said that the cargo aircraft will not be affected by the runway reduction. On cargo tonnage, he said 1,699 tonnes of international cargo was exported from MIA in 2017 as against 867 tonnes in 2016. Similarly, 2,584 tonnes of domestic cargo was flown from MIA in 2017 as against 3,721 tonnes in 2016.

The AAI has also declared MIA as a silent airport from January 2. Accordingly, all public announcements by airlines have been stopped since Tuesday.

Instead, passengers could access flight information through display boards, SMSes and hands on assistance from airlines concerned. The needs of 'Divyang' passengers finding it tough to get flight information, will be taken care of, the airport director said.

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News Network
March 19,2024

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Bengaluru, Mar 19: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said that the Congress will split in three months after the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and its impact will be visible on the Siddaramaiah-led state government.

"Due to internal squabbles, the state government will not last long," the BJP leader said.

Talking to reporters on Monday, he said the sitting MP from the Gadag-Haveri constituency, Shivakumar Udasi, has done a lot of development work and implemented the Central government's schemes effectively.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will surely become the PM for the third time. The overall response has been good in the Gadag-Haveri Lok Sabha constituency," the former Karnataka chief minister said.

Asked if he was contesting the election in a half-hearted manner in the Gadag-Haveri seat, Bommai said "such a question does not arise when the party's high command gives instructions".

He said he would respect his opponent and not take anyone lightly. 

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News Network
March 11,2024

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Bengaluru, Mar 11: Senior Congress leader and Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday said there are discussions in the party about seven to eight state ministers contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka.

He added that the party will most likely finalise the candidates for the 28 Lok Sabha segments after gauging who among the current stable of ministers will agree to contest in the 'interest of the party'.

"There are discussions that seven to eight Ministers should contest, among the ministers. Whoever agrees in the interest of the party, they will be fielded. There may be some clarity on it after today's meeting (of the screening committee)," Parameshwara told reporters here.

Asked about Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa not willing to contest, he said, "He (Mahadevappa) is saying that he doesn't want to contest and the ticket be given to his son. Party will ultimately decide whether it will be Mahadevappa or his son or someone else. He cannot be pressured if he doesn't want to (contest)."

Efforts are on to pacify those upset or disgruntled about selection of candidates, to ensure that they work in the party's interest, he said, adding that 'such things are common during polls'.

Congress has announced candidates for seven seats of Karnataka in the first list. Interestingly, Congress' first list did not have names of any of the ministers and legislators, amid reports that they are reluctant to fight the Lok Sabha polls.

According to party sources, the Congress leadership has been making efforts to convince some ministers and lawmakers to contest, as they have faced problems in identifying winnable candidates in several segments.

The Ministers instead are said to be pushing for the candidature of their family members to 'ensure' the party's victory in their respective segments, and according to sources, the leadership seem to be worried about the message it may send out if their kin are fielded.

Meanwhile, state Congress President and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the party's screening committee will meet today evening to finalise the candidates.

"We are meeting in the evening, we don't have the rights to announce the candidate. We will send it to Delhi, the Central Election Committee will meet there and may accept or reject our recommendation. They may add names into the list on their own and announce," he said.

On some Ministers like Mahadevappa and K H Muniyappa not keen on contesting the polls, he said, "do you know about it? I don't know, haven't spoken to them."

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News Network
March 13,2024

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Bengaluru, Mar 13: Karnataka government has not yet discussed the issue of implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in the State, and the Cabinet will take a call on it, Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Wednesday.

The Centre on Monday announced the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, a move that comes four years after the contentious law was passed and paves the way for citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

"We have not yet discussed it. If the Chief Minister says it has to be discussed and decided in the Cabinet, we will decide it. Whether to accept or reject it has to be decided by the Cabinet," Parameshwara told reporters.

The rules were notified days ahead of the expected announcement of the Lok Sabha elections. With this, the Modi government will now start granting Indian nationality to self-proclaimed persecuted non-Muslim migrants — Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians — from the three countries.

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