Mangaluru gets new flight service in Pune-Delhi route

Mangaluru: The maiden IndiGo flight from Pune arrived at the Mangaluru International Airport at 12.42 am on Monday.

The inaugural flight with 82 passengers landed 38 minutes ahead of its scheduled arrival of 1.20 am, marking the entry of Pune as the newest destination to be ever served from this coastal city. The flight departed for Pune with 124 passengers at 2.40 am.

The introduction of this flight saw a late-night buzz at the Mangaluru Airport. The airline held small celebration with passengers and other stakeholders, the airport spokesperson said.

As the aircraft landed and taxied into the parking stand, the airport arranged for a traditional water cannon salute. Captain Aman Gupta acknowledged the gesture by making an onboard flight announcement to this effect on behalf of his six-member crew.

The passengers have expressed their happiness at the beginning of the flight.

“The flight that leaves Mangaluru reaches Delhi at 6.55 am after a layover of half an hour. The other option to fly to Delhi is a time-consuming one as of now,”  S N Bhat, a senior professional working in Delhi and a native of Mangaluru said.

The flight starts from Delhi and flies to Mangaluru via Pune.