Mangalore International Airport
Mangalore Airport, formerly known as Bajpe Airport, is an international airport serving the coastal city of Mangalore, India. Several daily flights connect Mangalore with most major cities in southern and western India as well as many major cities in the Middle East. The airport was opened on 25 December 1951 as the Bajpe Aerodrome when then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru arrived on the maiden flight on a DC-3 Dakota aircraft. It was the first in the state of Karnataka to have two runways, one of which was fully concrete. Mangalore Airport is capable of handling aircraft up to A310 size in all weather conditions. Night operations are permitted.The operation of international flights started in 2006 with Air India Express flying to Dubai. Mangalore Airport was a customs airport for six years from 3 October 2006 to 3 October 2012, before it was granted the status of International Airport.The 61-year-old facility has seen tremendous growth from its first flight, a single cargo-cum-passenger Dakota planes in 1951 to modern Boeings and Airbuses. Mangalore being a one of major port city of India having world-class industries and educational institutions, helping Mangalore Airport to clock record growth in passenger traffic.OverviewThe airport is near Bajpe, around 20 km (12 mi) northeast of the city centre. It is on top of a hill, with two tabletop runways 9/27 and 6/24. Only two other airports in India have table top runways — Kozhikode and Lengpui. As of October 2012, it has facilities for handling 400 passengers in the domestic arrival hall and 150 international passengers in the international hall.
