Shivamogga Airport faces flight suspension as airline stops bookings

Flights at Shivamogga Airport may stop completely starting November 21 because StarAir has halted ticket bookings. The airline has operated flights from the airport to Hyderabad, Tirupati, and Goa for the past three years. Airport officials stated that bookings stopped because the three-year subsidy period under the UDAN scheme ends on November 21. While the company has not given any formal notice on whether it will permanently stop or continue flights, officials believe the shutdown will be temporary.

Official Response

Karnataka State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation chairperson S.G. Nanjayyana Math confirmed that flights will likely halt for some time. He questioned how long subsidies should continue, noting that air travellers are generally rich while subsidies should help the poor. However, he confirmed that a proposal has been sent to the State government to extend the subsidy. Math also raised concerns that the airport infrastructure, built on about 700 acres with an investment of ₹450 crore to ₹500 crore and a current value reaching up to ₹1,000 crore, will remain empty.

Future Plans

To restart services, the KSIIDC has proposed 13 new routes under a revised UDAN scheme that features a five-year term expected to start early next year. These proposed routes will connect Bengaluru to Goa, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Tirupati, Pune, Mysuru, Ahmedabad, Surat, Kolhapur, Kochi, Mangaluru, Hindon, and Coimbatore. Officials confirmed that the tender process for these new routes is currently underway.

Context

The UDAN scheme is a regional connectivity program run by the government to make flying affordable and connect smaller towns to major cities using financial support. Airport projects require heavy initial spending on land and construction, making ongoing airline participation vital for maintaining daily operations.