Expatriates in Riyadh & Jeddah in Saudi Arabia Urge for Direct or Non-Stop Flight to Mangaluru International Airport
Mangaluru: The expatriates in Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, have long been urging for a direct or non-stop flight to Mangaluru International Airport. Currently, they are exerting continued pressure on the government and stakeholders in the aviation industry. According to an estimate, there are close to 25,000 expats from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada and Kasaragod in Jeddah and Riyadh and the current direct flights operate only to Dammam. MIA operates three flights per week to Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Arifulla, spokesperson of Karnataka NRI Forum Jeddah, said a lot of Mangalureans are engaged in various sectors in and around the city of Jeddah. Presently, they rely on connecting flights to reach their hometown. The introduction of a direct flight would not only save both money and time, but would also be particularly advantageous for those undertaking holy pilgrimages to Mecca in Saudi Arabia from Mangaluru. Currently, direct flights to Jeddah are accessible from Bengaluru, and the Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) initiating the same service would be highly beneficial.
The forum has expressed its concerns to a major airline carrier regarding the commencement of this service, and the airline has responded positively to our plea, said Arifulla adding that the demand for direct flights is similarly high for Riyadh from Mangaluru. A source said that the current passenger load from Dammam to MIA and vice versa is running almost full.
There are tri-weekly flights to this sector. An average of 39 flights operate between the two cities in each quarter, carrying nearly 48,000 passengers in a year. The direct flight to Riyadh and Jeddah is the need of the hour. The airlines are considering introducing flights between Riyadh/Jeddah and Mangaluru, the source added.
