Mangalore, Jan 31: Airports Authority of India (AAI) Central Vigilance Officer Durga Shankar Mishra today said that with 2007 being declared as e-governance year for aviation, the AAI proposed to introduce more e-governance practices in areas such as e-payments and e-receipts at the Bajpe airport, near here.

Mr Mishra, who was here to present the Best Environmental Safety Trophy (national level) for 2004 to Bajpe airport, told newspersons that some airports have fully adopted e-governance. Public sector Syndicate Bank had assured to soon introduce Electronic Fund Transfer facility at its branch in the airport.

Complimenting the AAI authorities at Bajpe Airport for bagging the trophy and achieving ISO 14001:2004 certification, he said the Bajpe airport was third airport in the country, after Ahmedabad and Jaipur to get the trophy.

With the number of airlines operating from the airport steadily growing and passenger traffic marking 60 per cent increase, the AAI was constructing a new intergrated terminal building at the airport at a cost of Rs 140 crore and it was expected to be ready by 2009, Mr Mishra said.

Expressing satisfaction over the 'Good Vigilance System' maintained by the airport, he said he had asked the officials to further improve the system.

Airport Director M R Vasudeva, who also spoke, announced that the airport would receive the first Airbus-320, operated by Kingfisher Airlines, from Mumbai today. Flight service to Kuwait was expected to commence in the near future as the details were being worked out.

With night landing facilities being made available at the airport, the number of flights operating from the airport was expected to increase soon.


UNI