Stakeholders seeking additional air connectivity from Mysuru to other cities in Karnataka and the neighbouring States have averred that it was imperative to spur investment in the city and expedite industrial development of the region.
But for long-haul flights to operate to and from Mysuru, the extension of the runway was necessary and though the project has received clearance from the Director General of Civil Aviation, it was yet to commence.
The meeting convened by Mysore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) on Tuesday, was addressed by the Mysuru Airport Director Manjunath who said the originating air passenger traffic potential from Mysuru was high and this was the key question posed to him by airlines keen to include the city in their flight path.
He said the air service to Mangaluru by Alliance Air and which will commence in due course was preceded by a series of meetings the focus of which was on passenger potential. Referring to the underpass which was imperative to extend the runway, he said the concept was not novel and such runways existed in different parts of the world.
Apart from Mysuru’s tourism potential, the city was known for yoga, education and adventure sports and this could be harnessed to drive more traffic to the city apart from the potential for new industries.
In this context Mr. Manjunath said that Tatas had identified Nagpur and Mysuru for major investment in the field of aerospace engineering which could generate at least 2,000 jobs but the airport expansion was a must for it to materialise.
Sudhakar Shetty, past president, Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), said upgrading the Mysuru airport would not only benefit the city but foster development and growth in Mandya, Kodagu, and Chamarajanagar districts as well. He urged the authorities to expedite the land acquisition process to commence the underpass works at the earliest.
This was followed by an interaction with participants most of whom complained of frequent cancellation of flights operating under UDAN. They said passengers lacked confidence about regular flights due to frequent changes in timings and cancellations as a result of which many preferred to fly from Bengaluru.
