Hassan airport will create more than 5,000 jobs by 2015: Jupiter Aviation

The new airport at Hassan will create over 5,000 jobs in various sectors and generate over $60 million in foreign exchange by 2015. It will also stimulate socio-economic growth in the Malnad region, S Ravi Narayanan, chief executive officer and managing director of Jupiter Aviation, the promoter of the project, told the media on Thursday 6 September.

The airport will generate Rs2,500 crore worth of investments in ancillary activities, and create 6,000 jobs. About 1,200 jobs would be created in the cargo sector alone, Narayanan said.

He said the first phase of work would be completed in 24 months and the airport would commence commercial operations from April 2009. The trial run of aircraft would start by the end of 2008. Jupiter Aviation is building the airport on 960 acres of land, and will invest Rs600 crore in the first phase.

It would be a 'world-class, all-weather, all-aircraft' airport and generate over Rs100 crore revenue for the state government. It will make Hassan a major cargo handling destination through an inland container depot. It will also establish a training centre for pilots, Narayanan said.

"The Hassan airport draws inspiration from four successful airports across the globe: Memphis in the US, Toulouse in France, Bristol in the UK, and Paya Lebar in Singapore," the CEO said, adding that the airport's carrying capacity would be two million passengers by 2015.

A ring road would be laid to facilitate smooth traffic between Hassan City and the airport. Besides, passenger trains would operate on the Mangalore-Hassan route soon, and the Bangalore-Mangalore national highway (NH-48) would be widened to four lanes.