Kalaburagi residents seek more flights and inclusion in Udan scheme

Kalaburagi: The residents of Kalaburagi welcomed the commencement of daily flights from their local airport to Bengaluru and seek the central govt's inclusion of the facility under the Udan Scheme.
Despite the state govt's substantial investment through the infrastructure development department and the Airport Authority of India's expenditure of approximately Rs 80 crore for night landing facilities by May 2023, it is disappointing that the airport remains excluded from the Udan scheme.
Sadanand Perla, a social activist and president of Dakshina Kannada Sangha, voiced concerns about the underutilisation of the airport, which currently employs 350 staff for air traffic management and maintenance, yet operates below capacity.
The current Star Air Lines service departs Bengaluru at 11am, reaches Kalaburagi at 12.10pm, and leaves Kalaburagi at 12.30pm, returning to Bengaluru at 1.30pm. While convenient, morning flights will better serve passengers travelling to Bengaluru for business purposes. Schedule adjustments are necessary for airlines' profitability.
Sources suggest potential timing modifications from May to prevent service discontinuation due to revenue shortfalls. To enhance the profitability of the existing Kalaburagi-Bengaluru route, additional connections to Delhi, Mangaluru, and Mumbai are essential, they said.
Although preliminary studies for route expansion are under way, the airport authority's appeals regarding passenger traffic analysis and revenue generation strategies for new routes remain unaddressed.
Currently, trains to Bengaluru operate at full capacity with limited ticket availability. The situation is particularly challenging for Mangaluru-bound travellers, who face expensive fares and 15-hour journeys on the four to five daily buses available.
There is significant demand for air travel from Kalyana Karnataka to Mumbai, with numerous passengers currently relying on rail transport. Private airlines' intentions to establish Mumbai routes face obstacles due to slot unavailability at Mumbai airport.
Despite housing state's second-longest runway, constructed at significant expense, the Kalaburagi airport remains underutilised. Sadanand emphasised that air connectivity is crucial for industrial growth and IT-BT sector's development in the Kalyana Karnataka region, urging immediate intervention from both state and central govts.