REGIONAL AIRPORTS MUSHROOMING WITH CHALLENGES GALORE

Karnataka's push for regional air connectivity has led to a surge in airport infrastructure, yet many of these airports face challenges like fluctuating demand and limited flight frequencies. While the UDAN scheme has supported growth, the long-term viability of several regional airports remains uncertain, highlights

- RASHEED KAPPAN

Bypassing the rugged road network, regional air connectivity was a big political promise in Karnataka that caught the entire country’s attention five years ago. The rush of regional airports that mushroomed all across the State was high on intent and ambition. But today, barring the Belagavi and Hubballi airports, these flashy new aerodromes are trapped in a cycle of fluctuating demand, low flight frequencies due to aircraft delivery constraints and a lack of weather-proof runways.

Bordering Maharashtra, the Belagavi airport is the most promising of the lot, but the problem persists here too. Originally an airbase for Operation Vijay of the Goa Liberation movement, this airport had an upgrade in 2018 and now links Belagavi to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Surat, Nagpur, Jaipur, Tirupati and Bhuj. Passenger numbers have grown, but flight frequencies have not kept pace, even as frequent flyers are demanding more direct flights to the major cities.

The unprecedented upswing in regional air connectivity over the last five years has helped Karnataka push ahead of other States, emerging third in passenger numbers behind only Delhi and Maharashtra. Nine airports, managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the State Government, private entities and through publicprivate partnerships, have dramatically boosted the domestic network branching out of Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).

Uncertainty outside UDAN umbrella

But there is a catch. The UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme has fuelled the growth of many of these airports, offering subsidies to airlines to make air travel affordable and accessible for passengers. Aviation watchers are not sure how many airlines that currently fly on new and underserved routes would stay the distance once the airports are out of the UDAN umbrella.