Mangaluru, Feb 7: Airports Authority of India (AAI), which had earlier decided to expand the new concrete runway of Mangaluru International Airport by 4,000 feet, is now reportedly reconsidering its earlier plan because of massive cost.
R K Srivastava, who took over as the new chairman of AAI replacing Sudheer Raheja, in January, has reportedly decided to reduce the expenses by confining the expansion plans to 2,000 feet which will make it 10,000-foot-long tabletop runway.
At least 289 acres of land was required to extend the runway by 4,000 feet and make it a 12,000-foot-long tabletop runway. The Dakshina Kannada district administration had already submitted a proposal to the State government to acquire 185 acres to be handed over to the AAI in the first stage.
The district administration had planned to acquire 185 acres at a cost of Rs. 121 crore, of which Rs. 115 crore would be spent on land acquisition and Rs. 5 crore for rehabilitating the people who lose their land.
According to the sources of AAI, it would require at least Rs 1,200 crore for the runway expansion as per earlier proposal excluding the excluding the cost of 289 acres of land required for the project. On the other hand, the revised proposal would require only Rs 400 crore, excluding the cost of land. Besides the only 120 acres of land is required to expand the runway by 2,000 feet.
Reliable sources said that as per the revised the plans of AAI, the Mangaluru International Airport has already forwarded a new proposal to the State Principal Secretary (Infrastructure), Deputy Commissioner, Dakshina Kannada, and the headquarters of the AAI in Delhi.
Apart from serving domestic travellers, Mangaluru airport has direct connectivity to many locations in the Gulf, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Sharjah, Muscat, Doha and Dammam. The expansion would help the airport attract bigger aircrafts.
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