Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Mar 29: Taking a further stride in its growth chart, Mangalore International Airport is set to start e-visa facility for passengers from April 1.

As of now, Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport is the only one in the state that provides this facility to international passengers.

Airport director J T Radhakrishna said that arrangements are in place and the facility will start operating in a couple of days, that is, from April 1. Two exclusive counters have been set up at the terminal building for foreign travellers landing at Mangaluru airport who want to make use of the facility. E-visa holders will be required to scan their fingerprints.

The facility can be availed by those holding tourist, medical and business visas.

While immigration officials need only a few seconds to check a traditional visa, the process can take some minutes for those with e-visas as fingerprints need to be taken, hence two counters have been set up for the new facility. Ariport officials suggested that to facilitate faster clearance, it would be better if passengers brought printouts of the e-visa rather than carrying the same in their phones or other electronic devices.

With this facility, passengers with e-visas arriving in Mangaluru no longer need to fly via Mumbai and Bengaluru.

Currently, the Mangaluru aiport handles 47 international flight arrivals and departures every week, all of them to GCC countries.