Mysore, Oct. 1 (JP&RK)-Nearly one year after city's Mandakalli Airport was readied for flight operations, a Kingfisher Airlines, ATR -72 craft (Flight IT 2404) made a perfect three-point landing at 1.15 pm today, thus heralding the commencement of commercial air operations to and from the city.
The ATR-72 carried Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, Kingfisher Chairman and MP Dr. Vijay Mallya, State Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy and aides.
The ATR Twin turbo-prop aircraft has a flight crew of two and cabin crew of two.
Welcoming them on the tarmac were Mysore MP H. Viswanath, Mayor Sandesh Swamy, Deputy Commissioner Harsha Gupta, Zilla Panchayat CEO G. Satyavathi, IGP A.S.N. Murthy, SP Rama Subba, Addl. SP Venkataswamy, Regional Commissioner M.V. Jayanthi, MUDA Commissioner P.C. Jayanna, Dy. Mayor Pushpalatha Jagannath, ZP President S.N. Siddhartha, several Corporators and other officials. A folk troupe present broke into a celebratory song to welcome the first flight and its VIP passengers. The Airport wore a festive look with buntings and festoons. District in-Charge Minister S. A. Ramdas was present. After brief interactions with officials and other VIPs, the CM accompanied by Dr. Mallya and Reddy returned to Bangalore by the same flight.
It is learnt, 64 tickets have already been sold for the return flight to Bangalore and Chennai today. The ATR aircraft can carry between 66 and 78 passengers apart from the crew.
Kingfisher to continue beyond Oct. 29
The sources at Airports Authority of India (AAI) told SOM this morning that contrary to reports appearing in a section of the press, Kingfisher Airlines to Bangalore and Chennai would continue beyond Oct. 29 and a fresh schedule worked out on the basis of logistics.
Buys first ticket to Chennai
Sam Cherian, an industrialist who operates Chevron Labs in Hebbal, was at Mandakalli airport along with his wife Miriam and daughter Anna ready to board the return flight to Bangalore and then to Chennai. Cherian was the first to buy the ticket.
Courtesy : Star Of Mysore