Passengers on-board the Inaugural flight will be ministers MB Patil, Madhu Bangarappa, former chief minister BS Yediyurappa and lawmaker BY Raghavendra.
Published Aug 31, 2023 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 31, 2023 | 7:00 AM
The Shivamogga Airport
The newly constructed Kuvempu Airport at Shivamogga in central Karnataka will receive its first flight on Thursday, 31 August.
An IndiGo flight leaving Bengaluru at 9.50 am would touch down at Shivamogga at 11.05 am, marking the commencement of the domestic airport’s operations, Minister for Medium, Large Industries and Infrastructure Development MB Patil said on Wednesday.
Sharing media reports on the commencement of flight services at the newly constructed airport in Shivamogga starting from Thursday (August 31, 2023).#shimogaairport pic.twitter.com/43RFxGkueI
— M B Patil (@MBPatil) August 30, 2023
Passengers on the inaugural flight would include state ministers Patil, and Madhu Bangarappa, former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, his son and Member of Parliament BY Raghavendra, and other people’s representatives from the Malnad region. Yediyurappa had laid the foundation stone for the airport on 15 June, 2020.
Patil termed the response to the flight service to and from Shivamogga Airport overwhelming, and added that tickets have already been booked for the next three weeks.
Shivamogga would be IndiGo’s sixth destination in Karnataka.
“After Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubballi, and Belagavi, Shivamogga will be the latest town for IndiGo in Karnataka. This direct flight will enhance intra-state accessibility while connecting Shivamogga with key domestic and international destinations through Bengaluru,” the airline stated earlier.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated airport on 27 February, ahead of the May Assembly elections this year when the BJP was ruling the state. The airport’s inauguration also coincided with the 80th birthday of Yediyurappa, hailing from Shivamogga.
The airport in Shivamogga has been named after Kannada poet Kuvempu. It is the ninth domestic airport in Karnataka after Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Hubballi, Kalaburagi, Ballari, Bidar, Belagavi and Mysuru. Only Bengaluru and Mangaluru airports operate for international schedules.
The airport, constructed on 663 acres, has a 3,200-metre-long runway, the second-longest in the state after the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. The airport is also capable of accommodating large aircraft such as the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320.
The airport features a lotus-shaped terminal building, apron, single runway, and car parking facilities. It has been designed to operate ATR-72-600 type aircraft and could handle about 200 peak-hour passengers. However, the terminal building could handle 300 passengers per hour, if necessary, according to officials.
Of the total cost of ₹600 crore, ₹450 crore was spent on developing the airport’s infrastructure, while the remaining was utilised for acquiring land. The airport is expected to improve connectivity and accessibility from Shivamogga and other neighbouring areas in the Malnad region.
A few days before its inauguration, Prime Minister Modi tweeted: “The airport in Shivamogga will boost commerce, connectivity and enhance tourism.”
Raghavendra in a tweet said the airport would be the gateway of Malnad.
“The dream of an airport at Shivamogga is coming true! The Shivamogga airport will establish itself as not merely an airport, but as the gateway of Malnad region’s journey to transformation,” he said.
The airport in Shivamogga will boost commerce, and connectivity and enhance tourism. https://t.co/6yT84zpBaC
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 24, 2023
Explaining the change the airport could bring in for Shivamogga, a land well-known for its natural beauty, experts said that the airport would not only boost commerce and connectivity, but also enhance tourism in the district.
According to an executive summary prepared by the state Public Works Department (PWD), the airport would boost the regional economy, tourism, and commercial activities, besides generating more revenue, employment, and business opportunities.
“With surging demand for a large number of domestic and international companies, India’s aviation industry ensures to witness phenomenal growth shortly. A large number of industries and infrastructure development in the state will avail the facilities of Shivamogga Airport,” the summary said.
“Besides passenger traffic growth, a large mix of industries in this region offers a great potential for enhanced cargo activities. The region offers unlimited scope for the growth of tourism, trade, and commercial activities. The proposed project will have long-term and regional beneficial/positive direct and indirect impacts on employment, socioeconomic conditions, state economy, tourism, and development of the area and region,” it added.
Incidentally, Shivamogga Airport would be the first airport run by the state government. Minister Patil has plans to keep the upcoming Vijayapura airport under the state’s control.
Patil has been busy monitoring the Vijayapura airport works that have been rapidly progressing. The minister said the Vijayapura airport would become operational by April next year.
The airport is being constructed at the Burnapur village at an estimated cost of around ₹348 crore. Patil earlier said that an additional ₹50 crore would be required to add more facilities, such as night landing, separate fire station, etc.
The minister asserted that the government was contemplating keeping the operational part of Vijayapura and Shivamogga airports under its control rather than handing it over to the Airports Authority of India.
“We are thinking of allowing the Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSIIDC) to maintain both airports. But we have not taken any final decision. We will have to first study the proposal in detail before making a final decision,” he had said.
The minister also hinted at the possibility of starting a cargo service from the Vijayapura Airport. “Before starting the cargo service, it is important to ascertain various factors such as availability of enough goods for the service,” Patil said.
Since the district produces large quantities of crops such as grapes, we will see whether it would be enough to start a cargo service,” the minister said earlier.
Patil, who is also the Vijayapura district in-charge minister, expressed his wish for a sophisticated airport in the district. “Every effort would be made and adequate funds would be granted to achieve the dream,” he added.
