Minister seeks restoration of flights between Bengaluru, Shivamogga to enable growth, business

Bengaluru: Infrastructure Development Minister M.B. Patil has urged the Centre to include the Bengaluru-Shivamogga air route in the upcoming UDAN bidding process so that the service, which has been suspended owing to financial losses, can be restored.

He recently said the resumption of flights was crucial for the economic and social development of the Malnad region and parts of Central Karnataka.

In this regard, he has written to Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu seeking his intervention.

Shivamogga airport commenced operations in February 2023, following which IndiGo operated flights between Shivamogga and Bengaluru. However, the service has remained suspended for the past few months, causing inconvenience to passengers.

In his letter, Patil pointed out that air connectivity between the two cities was vital for supporting the economic, agricultural, tourism and industrial growth of districts such as Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Uttara Kannada, Davanagere, Chitradurga and Haveri.

The absence of a direct flight between Shivamogga and Bengaluru has also affected travellers seeking connectivity to other parts of the country and international destinations.

Patil has, therefore, requested the Union Minister to facilitate the inclusion of the Bengaluru-Shivamogga route in the proposed UDAN bidding process with support under the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) mechanism.

The Minister further noted that work on providing night-landing facilities at Shivamogga airport was progressing rapidly and added that all other essential infrastructure and facilities were already in place at the airport.