Bengaluru, March 16: In a significant meeting held at Vidhana Soudha on Monday, Karnataka ministers MB Patil, Dr. Sharanaprakash R. Patil, Priyank Kharge, Rahim Khan, and KKRDB Chairman Dr. Ajay Singh urged airlines to initiate regular air services to Kalaburgi and Bidar.
Representatives from IndiGo, Air India, Alliance Air, Star Air, and Akasa Air attended the meeting, alongside senior state government officials R. Vishal and Kushbu Choudary.
The discussions centered on the operational feasibility of utilizing Airports Authority of India (AAI)-managed facilities, including the 742-acre site in Kalaburgi, which has been developed since 2019.
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One airline operator expressed commitment to evaluating the operational feasibility for an airbase in Kalaburgi, which is equipped to handle all aircraft landings, including night stationing. This facility could support daily services to other states and Bengaluru.
Another airline indicated that they had retired all 50-seater aircraft but were planning morning services to Bidar and evening services to Kalaburgi from Bengaluru.
Additionally, a prominent airline mentioned that they are currently conducting a commercial valuation for both destinations, while another operator is exploring flights from Kalaburgi to Hyderabad and back to Bengaluru.
The ministers have directed airlines to submit firm quotes and flight schedules for Bengaluru-Kalaburgi and Bengaluru-Bidar routes by March 23, after which a final decision will be made in the next meeting.
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