Poojari urges starting of additional flights to Gulf region

New Delhi, Oct 3 (UNI) Senior Congressman and former union minister B Janardhana Poojari today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to start direct flights to Saudi Arabia from Mangalore to help the travelling public.

Welcoming the initiative to start direct flights from Mangalore to several Gulf destinations from today, he said it would help several employess settled in western Asia.

Mr Poojari in his letter to the Prime Minister reminded him that Mangaloreans had to travel to Bangalore or Mumbai to catch the flights to Jeddah. If the government allows additional air flights from Mangalore and allow the private airlines to operate from the Mangalore airport, it would help the passenger public and promote local tourism.

The bookings in Bhatkal and Kasargod in Kerala to Gulf destinations was over 90 per cent and many of them have to wait for three months to get confirmed bookings. In view of this the government should consider increasing the number of flights from additional destinations to Gulf, Mr Poojari said.

UNI