Tiruchirappalli-Mangaluru-Jeddah weekly flight inaugurated

Mangaluru: Mangaluru International Airport in a momentous occasion partnered with Air India Express to connect this port city in coastal Karnataka to the port city of Jeddah in Mecca province of Saudi Arabia on April 3, 2024. Jeddah is the eighth international destination served by Mangaluru International Airport. The inaugural leg of weekly flight IX 797 from Mangaluru to Jeddah flew in from Tiruchirappalli as IX 1499, also a new domestic connection for Mangaluru.

Devouts embarking for Umrah, a Holy Islamic pilgrimage made up for most of passengers who took the inaugural flight to Jeddah. Mr. Shabih Ahmed Kazi, a businessman who was among the first passengers to purchase a ticket for this flight, while thanking both the airport and the airline, hoped that the frequency between the two destinations will increase. Mrs. Nirmala Cardoza, another passenger, said the direct flight to Jeddah is a realization of 29-year-long-wait.

The departure hall of the Airport wore a festive look for the inaugural flight. Mr. Mukesh Nankani, Chief Airport Officer lit the traditional lamp along with heads of major stakeholder departments including the Customs, Immigration, Airport Security Group of CISF and HODs of the airport. Mr. Nankani later joined the young travelers and Mr. Kazi in cutting a celebratory cake and handed over the boarding pass to the first passenger to add to the festive atmosphere.

The Airport presented a rose, a certificate, and a pouch of assorted dry fruits to the passengers who boarded the inaugural Jeddah flight. The Airport gave a traditional welcome to flight IX 1499 skippered by Captain Anmol Deep Sin Padda when it arrived from Tiruchirappalli. Captain Anmol later steered the inaugural flight to Jeddah with a new set of crew. The flight from Tiruchirappalli to Jeddah via Mangaluru will operate every Wednesday and the return flight on Thursday.