Mangaluru: The Mangaluru International Airport's decision to extend the runway largely rests with state government's ability to fasten the acquisition of land required for extending the runway. 

Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) at Kenjar presently has a runway of which is 8,000 feet long. Airports Authority of India (AAI) wants to extend this by 11,600 feet in two phases - first phase by extending it to 10,000 feet and the remaining 1,600 thereafter.

AAI, which runs the airport,  has set aside a budget of around Rs 6,000 crore to take up development works of airport. . "AAI can go ahead with the project once the required land is handed over to us," said J T Radhakrishna, airport director, MIA.

D R Ashok, assistant commissioner, Mangaluru sub-division said the revenue department has sent a proposal to the state government to acquire required land at an estimated cost of Rs 186 crore and are awaiting administrative approval to proceed. 

The slow pace at which the runway extension project was progressing was discussed at length in the quarterly KDP review meeting. Ivan D'Souza, MLC has demanded immediate commencement of the extension project. Otherwise, MIA, which is being majorly patronised by air travellers from northern Kerala, would lose out to the new airport which has become functional at Kannur.

Once the runway is expanded by 10,000 feet, MIA will be in a position to handle 'Code E' flights, that is the Airbus 330 and Boeing 787 class of aircrafts, which offers higher comfort levels for travelling passengers.

Radhakrishna said that AAI is attempting the runway extension in two phases as the second phase is trickier which entails filling a deep valley to facilitate the expansion.