Mangalore city airport likely to go international

Bajpe (Mangalore), May 15 (ANI): Union Civil Aviation minister Praful Patel on Saturday said that the proposal to convert the Mangalore city airport into a international one would soon be taken to the Union Cabinet.

Speaking after inaugurating a world-class terminal at the Mangalore city airport in Karnataka, Praful Patel said: "We will definitely take this proposal to the Union Cabinet at the earliest to convert this into an international airport. See, one of the requirements of the International Airport Declaration is a 9000 feet runway. That is why I announced that (the work) on this, 1000 feet runway will be taken up at the earliest."

Constructed at a cost of 1.6 billion rupees, the State of the art terminal building is expected to be a catalyst of growth in the region.

Patel said that the terminal was a "shining example" of Mangalore's prosperity and progress added that infrastructural development was holistic and not limited to a few states.angaloreans hope that the terminal would be converted into a full-fledged international airport and that the cargo movement will begin from here at the earliest.

Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa was also present on the occasion. (ANI)