New international terminal to become functional

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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The new international terminal of the Thiruvananthapruam Airport will become operational on March 1 evening.

An Air India Express flight, flight no. IX-536, from Sharjah will arrive at the new terminal by 6 p.m. and flight no IX-539 to Dubai will leave from the new terminal by 7 p.m., Airport Director G Chandramouli told reporters here on Thursday.

Visitors will be allowed to enter the terminal building, up to the check-in areas, by issuing a ticket. The charge of the ticket will be Rs 60 per passenger.

The Airport Director also said that domestic services would continue to operate from the existing domestic terminal. In the due course, the existing international terminal will be converted as domestic terminal.

He also said that the AAI had plans to convert the existing domestic terminal into a convention centre. Certain other agencies, including the Coast Guard, have sought space in the building. A final decision on how to utilise the building will be taken only after a detailed study, he said.

ATC BEING UPGRADED

The Airport Director said that the Air Traffic Controll unit at the Thiruvananthapruam Airport is being upgraded.

"The automation of the ATC is going on and the radars attached to it are also being upgraded," Chandramouli said.

‘Express’ had recently highlighted the plight of the Thiruvananthapuram ATC after a monitor went off hours before the arrival of the aircraft carrying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Many of the devices at the ATC, that control the flight movement to about 200 nautical miles radius ranging from Mangalore towards the North and Colombo towards the South

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/thiruv...al/251224.html