Mangaluru
The coastal city of Mangaluru now has seven daily flights to Bengaluru with Air India Express commencing its domestic operations in this sector. Flight IX 782 with 107 passengers, including two infants landed at 12.30 pm marking the maiden run of the Boeing 737 Max aircraft (VT-BXD) in this sector.
The airport accorded a traditional water cannon salute as the aircraft, captained by Gaurav Vashist, taxied into the apron.
A follow-me vehicle also escorted the aircraft from the taxiway to the apron. The airport arranged a welcome ceremony for the first batch of passengers at the domestic arrival hall by cutting a cake to mark the occasion. On the return leg, Flight IX 678 departed for Bengaluru at 1.10 pm with 92 passengers, including an infant, seven crew members and an observer pilot.
Earlier, the authorities of Mangaluru International Airport, Air India Express and other stakeholder departments jointly celebrated the launch of this new flight with a cake-cutting ceremony in front of the airline counter in the departure hall.
The second AIE flight IX 1795 for the day operated on the Kannur-Bengaluru-Mangaluru sector. Flight IX 1795 departed Kannur at 4.30 pm to reach Bengaluru at 5.50 pm. This through flight will depart Bengaluru at 6.25 pm and reach Mangaluru at 7.35 pm. On the return leg, the flight operates as IX 792, a through flight to Thiruvananthapuram via Bengaluru. It departs Mangaluru at 8.15 pm and reaches Bengaluru at 9.30 pm. It further leaves Bengaluru at 10.20 pm to reach Thiruvananthapuram at 11.25pm.
