Abu Dhabi - Muscat: Maiden Flight to Mangalore Booking Gains Momentum
Daijiworld Media Network - UAE / Oman
Online Ticket Booking - Please visit: www.airindiaexpress.in
Abu Dhabi / Muscat, Feb 5: Soon after daijiworld announced on Friday at 8.30 pm the opening of the online booking of seats on the maiden Air India Express flight from Abu Dhabi and Muscat to Mangalore, there have been a good number of visits and bookings.
File photo: Air India Express crew of Dubai - Mangalore first flight
An Air India official in Dubai said that there had been tremendous traffic received at their site routed from daijiworld.com. Although booking from Abu Dhabi is showing slow progress, Muscat has good response and there are several firm bookings online.
"We are confident that within the next 2-3 days, maiden flight will be full," the official added.
Many Abu Dhabi residents prefer flying via Muscat direct to Mangalore than coming to Dubai airport and fly direct from Dubai.
Many noted community leaders who have put their efforts behind the succesful flight to Mangalore are lined up for flying on the first flight. B R Shetty, Sudhir Shetty, Sarvotham Shetty, Leo Rodrigues and Rajesh Sequeira have already confirmed their trip.
Here is a fair idea of the full flight details of the new aircraft which is planning to fly.
Daijiworld met noted community leaders in Abu Dhabi for their response to the maiden Abu Dhabi–Mangalore flight.
Sudhir Shetty, a well-known community leader and general manager of the UAE Exchange, has put in enormous efforts into internationalizing Mangalore Airport, but without much public exposure.
He is one of the persons instrumental in realizing the Abu Dhabi-Muscat-Mangalore flight. Right from the day Dubai-Mangalore flight was introduced, he kept pressure on Air India to introduce a flight from Abu Dhabi too. He was one of the first persons along with Rajesh Sequiera who proposed Abu Dhabi-Muscat route towards Mangalore considering the lighter load from Abu Dhabi.
He is delighted to know about the maiden flight to Mangalore from Abu Dhabi. "This will reduce the pressure on Dubai-Mangalore flights. It is difficult to get a seat on Dubai-Mangalore flight especially during emergency. It is not only convenient for Mangaloreans but also for the people of north Malabar like Kannur, Payyanur, Neeleshwar, Kanhaghad, Kasargod, and even of the north Kanara side up to Bhatkal.
He is very happy about the timing, as many people work half day on Thursday, or even people who work full day on Thursday can still catch the flight.
Once Air India considers the load prospects, there may be exclusive Abu Dhabi-Mangalore flights in the near future, he said.
He thanked Ai India Express for acknowledging and fulfilling the needs of Mangalorean from UAE and Muscat.
Leo Rodrigues, noted NRI entrepenuer from Mangalore and community leader who has been involved in Konkani Cultural Organization for many years said, “Our dream has finally come true. This will minimize the distance of Mangalore and Dubai. This will not only help every passenger of Mangalore destination, but also help improve business activities,\. There will be a lot of investment in Mangalore from UAE entreprneues, as commuting will be easier and quicker henceforth."
He commended the efforts of Air India Express for planning the direct flight. Further he wished that in the coming months there Mangalore be connected direct to and from other Gulf nations where there is a large presence of Mangaloreans.
Mohammed Uchil, a resident of Abu Dhabi for the last 21 years, an active member of the Beary community in the UAE and current president of Beary Welfare Association, Abu Dhabi is delighted to know that Air India is flying direct to from Mangalore.
He says. "It is another feather in the cap for the Mangalore Airport. The credit for this great success goes not to any of the politician but some Individuals like Sudhir Shetty, Vasudeva and the common populace of the coastal region, whose prayers and dedicated efforts worked, besides pressure from daijiworld.com and Mr Rajesh Sequeira. A long-cherished dream of thousands of Mangaloreans residing in Abu Dhabi was finally realized. From 1951, when the Mangalore Airport started its flight operations, up to 2007, it has been a slowly but steady progress. I congratulate all the individuals as well as the organizations and all the concerned government departments, whose co-operation made this dream come true."
Daijiworld’s chief correspondent in Muscat Clarence Pinto, has been updating the direct flight situation from the day of memorandum was submitted to Oman air, under the able leadership of a dynamic personality, Dr Satish Nambiar.
Clarence met several people in Muscat to get to know the initial feedback from the people of coastal and north Malabar passgengers.
Here are the selected expression on the first even direct Mangalore flight by Air India Express
S K Poojary, a successful Mangalorean entrepreneur in the Sultanate of Oman, is in the forefront of promoting Tulu culture and tradition and has been instrumental in staging several Tulu cultural programmes in Oman. He was one of the members in the NRI forum that worked to initiate direct flights to Mangalore by Oman Air and Indian.
Poojary was on cloud nine when daijiworld.com team contacted him to have his views on the recent announcement of a direct flight to Mangalore. “More than me, my family is happy. Namma Kudla Itte Bhari Mutta and” (Our Mangalore is very close us now). He was joyful and exuberant.
Poojary showered full praise on Air India Express for their quick decision and commencement of direct flight in this month itself. “I had mentioned to you that flights will start in February,” he recalled. He pointed out to the last meeting, where he had forecast the direct flight commencement in February. On behalf of whole coastal Karnataka community he wanted to express gratitude to Air India Express management.
He also expressed his optimistic vision of seeing “Developed Mangalore.” He said, “There will be lot of development in and around Mangalore in the coming months. Omani Students will start studying in our premier institutions. Oman can import fresh food items from Mangalore. This new development will totally boost our economy and bilateral relations also.”
Mebal Pinto, general manager of Marmul Travel & Tours LLC, one of the premier travel and tours company in Oman, has been considered as one the front-runners of the Oman travel industry and very first lady to occupy such a top position in the Sultanate.
When daijiworld.com team called her, she expressed her extreme joy on the announcement of the first flight. "No words to express my happiness,” she said in a joyful tone. “I am so delighted that a long-awaited dream of Mangaloreans residing in Oman will come true on 15th of this month. When Dubai had the initial privilege of direct flight, Muscat as the second destination to my motherland makes me proud."
She was worried about the flight schedule and told us, "It is odd timing for families and travellers from the interior of South Kanara. If the flight lands at 10.30pm, after completion of immigration formalities, traveling to northern part of Mangalore after midnight will be a problem. It will be better and convenient, if Air India Express officials revise the schedule and arrange for it to land during daytime."
While asked whether online booking would affect the travel agencies in Oman, she said, "It could affect our business to a certain extent; but we, the travel agents, are like advocates for the passengers. I always see that our customers will have no problems while travelling. We have made such arrangements at the airport and in our offices. Online booking means probably customers will have problems since there will not be any back-up service.”
She also added a touch of optimism towards Mumbai – Mangalore domestic flight business by saying, " When more and more Gulf destinations are connected to Mangalore, then, Mumbai – Mangalore domestic sector will have some effect. But, India is shining. Travel industry is growing. There will be more business in this sector also."
Henry Martis, thrice-president of MCCP – Muscat, is a well-known personality of the Mangalorean community in Muscat and popularly known as “Panglacho Kollo” (Jasmine of Pangla). He is a long-time resident of Muscat and among the ones who always took interest in materializing Muscat–Mangalore direct flight.
Henry Martis was one of the happiest persons to know the news of direct flight to Mangalore. “We are extremely happy,” he said. “It will benefit all of us and this summer, my family will travel by Air India Express direct!”
Concerning timings and frequency, Martis says, “ we might need more flights since passengers from the whole of coastal Karnataka and northern part of Kerala will be using this airport. Friday will be an ideal day since people want to return to Muscat and resume duty on Saturday, thus helping them to spend one more day in Mangalore.”
Martis also mentioned that Pangla’s world-famous jasmine could be imported to Muscat and it would have a good market. “We can have a Mangalore Store in Muscat now,” he concluded
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