Mysore airport upgradation work set in motion

Mysore, Sep 7: The much awaited process for upgrading the Mysore Mandakalli airport was set in motion, with the district administration handing over 154 acres of land required for the purpose to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) here today.

In a simple function organised by the AAI at the Mandakalli airport, Deputy Commissioner S Selva Kumar handed over the land to AAI Deputy General Manager (Civil) M N N Rao, in the presence of Mysore Lok Sabha member C H Vijayshankar.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Kumar said the AAI required another 20 acres of land, which was under litigation and expected to be cleared in a month's time. The AAI had sought another 93 acres of land for its second phase work and the Government had notified it.

Mr Vijayshankar said the State Government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the AAI, agreeing to provide free land, along with free electricity supply, water and other facilities.

Mr Rao, speaking on the occasion, said the total cost of the two-year project was Rs 70 crore, which would be borne by the AAI.

After completion of the first phase, the Mysore airport would be able to run ATR aircraft to Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. After the second phase, the airport would accommodate Boeing 737 and Airbus 320. In the first phase, the AAI would take up two runways, taxiways and construction of office building and boundary walls.

For the first phase, tenders have been opened at the AAI headquaters in New Delhi on August 31 and the process of alloting work would be completed by this month-end and actual upgradation work would begin by next month, he said.

UNI