MANGALURU: A rapid RT-PCR testing lab at Mangalore International Airport (MIA) will start operations from Tuesday, a day when an Air India Express (AIE) flight is scheduled to depart for the United Arab Emirates. Air India Express has opened booking of tickets for this flight on its website.
KV Rajendra, Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner, said a dry run at the rapid lab has commenced, and several people have been tested. There is a provision to conduct 30 tests at a time, and the test costs around Rs 3,700.
With this facility, MIA will help numerous passengers bound for Dubai, who otherwise had to depend on other airports in the country to get there. UAE’s ban on flights from India, which kicked in on April 25, was lifted on August 5 but MIA could not schedule even a single flight due to the non-availability of the rapid RT-PCR test facility at the airport. Currently, the rapid RTPCR test is one of the main requirements for Dubai residence permit holders to enter the UAE.
Wilfred Olivera, a resident of Kuloor and who lives 6km from MIA, said he had to book tickets from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, to travel to Dubai. “I would have saved money and time if the facility was available at MIA. I am happy that travellers like me will not be burdened now,” he said.
A passenger who recently travelled to Dubai via Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), said, “At KIA, the rapid RT-PCR test costs about Rs 3,200.”
An MIA spokesperson said that the facility will be maintained by a private firm. “However, we have not announced the official date from when the facility will be available. We are not aware about Air India Express opening slots for ticket booking to Dubai,” the spokesperson added.
