Shivamogga Airport to be operational from Aug 11, says Karnataka Minister

The newly constructed Shivamogga Airport in Karnataka, India, is expected to become operational on August 11, with all pending works to be completed by July 20.

Published on: Jul 14, 2023, 07:51:09 IST

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The newly constructed Shivamogga Airport is likely to be become operational from August 11 and all the pending works would be completed by July 20, Karnataka Large Industries and Infrastructure Development Minister M B Patil said on Thursday.

The Minister chaired a review meeting of new airports in the state today.

"Ambulance and other vehicles need to be deployed and a coffee cafe is yet to be opened. Apart from these, some technical and non-technical staff need to be hired. The Airport will be set for commercial operations by July 20, by meeting all these requirements," Patil said.

The Directorate of Civil Aviation has permitted Karnataka State Industries and Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSIIDC) to conduct the operation and maintenance of this airport, he said, adding that "with this Shivamogga Airport would become the very first airport to be maintained by an institution of the state government."

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 27 had inaugurated the Shivamogga airport with a lotus-shaped terminal.

According to Patil, during the campaigning for the state assembly elections, as many as 20 air buses landed at this airport and that fetched an income of ₹12 lakh.

"If everything goes as planned, the first flight will take off from Bengaluru to land at Shivamogga Airport on August 11. Prominent people including public representatives will be invited to be part of the historic moment on that day," he informed.

The Minister also reviewed the progress of the ongoing works at Vijayapura Airport.

Expressing his dissatisfaction about the airport not being provided the night landing facility, he directed the concerned officials to take steps to incorporate it.

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"The original plan did not include the night landing facility. So far around ₹350 crore has been spent and an additional ₹12 crore will be needed to include a night landing facility. Runway work has been completed and all structure-related works will be finished in three months. Simultaneously, installation of the equipment will be taken care of," Patil said.

The minister also examined the progress of ongoing airport projects in Hassan, Raichur and Karwar.

Later, he also discussed construction of airstrips at Dharmasthala, Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru, which were proposed in the recent state budget, his office said in a release.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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