Mysore Airport

Mysore Airport
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner/Operator Airports Authority of India
Serves Mysore
Location Mandakalli, Karnataka, India
Elevation AMSL 715 m / 2,347 ft
Coordinates 12°13′48″N 76°39′21″E / 12.23000°N 76.65583°E / 12.23000; 76.65583 (Mysore Airport)Coordinates: 12°13′48″N 76°39′21″E / 12.23000°N 76.65583°E / 12.23000; 76.65583 (Mysore Airport)
Map
MYQ
MYQ
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
09/27 1,740 5,709 Concrete

Mysore Airport (IATA: MYQ, ICAO: VOMY), also known as the Mandakalli airport, is an airport serving Mysore, a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located near the village of Mandakalli, about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south of Mysore. The airport, which is owned and operated by the Airports Authority of India, consists of one runway and one passenger terminal.

After three decades of dormancy, the airport was modernised, and scheduled passenger service resumed in October 2010. However, airlines have experienced difficulty maintaining service to the airport. As of October 2016, Mysore Airport receives only charter and VIP flights.

Entrance to departures area
Close view of the terminal

History

In 1940, the Princely State of Mysore established the airport on 290 acres (120 ha) of land. Following Indian independence in 1947, the Government of Karnataka assumed control of the airfield. The Ministry of Civil Aviation took control in 1950.[1] Passenger service to Bangalore using Dakota aircraft began, but it did not last long as people found travel by road to be faster. Thereafter, The Hindu started daily flights from Chennai via Bangalore to deliver its newspapers.[2] However, these flights lasted only a few months.[3]

Afterward, the airfield was used by charter flights carrying foreign tourists and by flights transporting dignitaries to the city, such as Jawaharlal Nehru.[1][3] The Indian Air Force operated training flights at the airport as well.[4] In 1985, regional airline Vayudoot commenced thrice weekly flights from Bangalore using its Dornier Do 228 aircraft.[1] The service was inaugurated by famous Indian writer R. K. Narayan. At the time, Mysore Airport consisted solely of a grass airstrip and a one-roomed terminal with one toilet.[5] Because of low passenger loads,[1][3] the flights ended in 1990.[4]

Modernisation and later developments (2005–present)

Since the 1960s, the city of Mysore had been appealing to the Central Government to upgrade the airport.[5] Mysore has a large tourism industry, and it is the second largest exporter of IT products in the state.[6] On 6 October 2005, the State Government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) signed a memorandum of understanding on the refurbishment of the airport. A new runway, passenger terminal, apron and air traffic control tower were built at a cost of ₹82 crore (US$13 million).[7][8] Construction was completed in September 2009. However, amid the economic recession, no airline had yet decided to begin flights to the airport.[9]

The airport was inaugurated on 15 May 2010 by then Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa.[10] Many airlines remained reluctant to begin flights, expecting poor passenger numbers and hindered by the inability of the airport to handle jet aircraft.[11] Kingfisher Airlines finally announced it would introduce flights from Chennai via Bangalore from 1 October, just before the start of Dasara.[12][13] The flights were operated by Kingfisher Red.[14] However, Kingfisher discontinued service to Mysore on 7 November 2011. Although the flights had performed well during Dasara, occupancy declined thereafter.[15] In addition, Kingfisher was dealing with financial problems and had decided to end Kingfisher Red operations.[16][17]

SpiceJet began the same Mysore–Bangalore–Chennai route on 14 January 2013.[18] The airline suspended the service in July 2014 because of low passenger traffic.[19][20] After speaking with local stakeholders and members of government, SpiceJet decided to resume flights in August,[21] only to suspend them again in September.[22] The airline resumed the service later in the month before finally terminating it on 25 October.[22][23]

On 3 September 2015, Air India Regional commenced Mysore–Bangalore flights, subsidised by the State Government.[24] The flights had extremely low passenger loads, which some passengers attributed to the inconvenient timings.[25] Air India ended the service on 17 November following the end of the subsidy arrangement.[26]

In April 2016, the AAI deemed the Mysore airport unproductive, as it had incurred high losses operating the airport.[27] Nevertheless, the state government decided to extend its memorandum of understanding with the AAI by another five years, believing the airport is necessary for future economic development in Mysore.[28] In 2016, Mysore Airport was used by the Reserve Bank of India's subsidiary Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Limited to carry banknotes of the Mahatma Gandhi New Series from the High-Security printing press to various branches of the Reserve Bank across the country.[29]

Infrastructure

Airfield

Mysore Airport has a single runway, 09/27, with dimensions 1,740 by 30 metres (5,709 ft × 98 ft). It can handle the ATR 72 turboprop and similar aircraft.[3] The original grass airstrip, 05/23, has been decommissioned.[lower-alpha 1] The apron has three parking stands and is connected to the runway by a single perpendicular taxiway.[30]

Terminal

The airport has a single passenger terminal, which occupies 3,250 square metres (35,000 sq ft) and has a capacity of 150 passengers.[3]

Access

Mysore Airport is linked to the city of Mysore by National Highway 766, which meets Mysore Ring Road about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of the airport.[31]

Future plans

Under the second phase of expansion, the runway would be lengthened to 2,400 metres (7,900 ft), allowing jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 to land at Mysore Airport.[32] The runway cannot be extended to the west because of the presence of a railway line, while an extension to the east requires diverting National Highway 766.[33] The State Government initially decided to hold off on this phase, preferring to wait until air traffic increased and the cost of diverting the runway was justified.[34]

The second phase was revived under the Siddaramaiah administration. It proposed tunneling NH 766 beneath the runway, which requires less land than deviating the highway;[35][36] but the Central Government rejected this proposal, citing security concerns.[35] In August 2016, however, the Deccan Chronicle reported that the Ministry of Civil Aviation had directed airport officials to have a study conducted regarding tunneling of the highway.[36]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The runway appears in Google Earth satellite imagery from 2006 and earlier, but it does not appear in AAI aerodrome data effective 7 January 2016.[30]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Vattam, Krishna (19 October 2009). "Tale of an airstrip: Then and now". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 21 May 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  2. ↑ Satya, Gouri (19 November 2011). "Mysore no longer connected by air". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Mysore airport resurrected". Business Standard. 4 October 2010. Archived from the original on 21 May 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Connect India, the AAI way" (PDF). Cruising Heights. Newsline Publications. October 2011. pp. 70–71. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2016. [Mysore Airport] was used for scheduled flight operations by Vayudoot with Dornier aircraft till 1990. The Indian Air Force/NCC used the strip for training flights apart from sporadic use by small private charter flights.
  5. 1 2 Narayan, R. K. (1993). Salt & Sawdust: Stories and Table Talk. New Delhi: Penguin Books India. pp. 125–126. ISBN 9780140236705.
  6. ↑ "Work in swift pace for Mysore Airport upgradation". Oneindia. United News of India. 8 July 2007. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  7. ↑ "Stage set for upgrading of Mysore airport". The Hindu. 7 October 2005. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "Mysore airport inaugurated". The Hindu. 16 May 2010. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  9. ↑ Kumar, R. (10 November 2009). "Commercial flights yet to take off at Mysore airport". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  10. ↑ "Mysore airport inaugurated". The Economic Times. Press Trust of India. 15 May 2010. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  11. ↑ Khan, Sobia (13 May 2010). "AI, private airlines refuse to take off from Mysore". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  12. ↑ "Mysore takes off amid fanfare". Deccan Herald. 1 October 2010. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  13. ↑ "Kingfisher airlines to fly to Mysore". The New Indian Express. 18 September 2010. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  14. ↑ "Mysore airport to start flight operations from October 1". The Hindu. 18 September 2010. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  15. ↑ Raghuram, M. (9 November 2011). "Kingfisher's flights to Mysore grounded". Daily News and Analysis. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  16. ↑ "Kingfisher Airline to temporarily suspend services to Mysore". The Hindu. 7 November 2011. Archived from the original on 23 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  17. ↑ "Kingfisher in Red, ends dream run in Mysore". Deccan Herald. 8 November 2011. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  18. ↑ "SpiceJet inaugurates new domestic route". Anna.aero. 15 January 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  19. ↑ Khan, Laiqh (2 September 2014). "SpiceJet cancels services to Mysore again". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 23 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  20. ↑ D'Souza, Vincent (29 July 2014). "Shadow Over Dasara as SpiceJet May Stop Mysore Services". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  21. ↑ Kumar, R. (15 August 2014). "SpiceJet to reopen bookings from Mysore". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 23 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  22. 1 2 "SpiceJet to resume Mysore-Bangalore service from September 16". The Hindu. 5 September 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  23. ↑ B., Sreekantswamy (17 October 2014). "Mysore airport stares at bleak future yet again". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  24. ↑ Kumar, R. (3 September 2015). "Alliance Air launches Bengaluru-Mysuru service". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 23 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  25. ↑ "Poor response may leave Mysuru without air service". Deccan Herald. 8 October 2015. Archived from the original on 23 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  26. ↑ "Air Alliance suspends Mysuru-Bengaluru flight". Webindia123.com. United News of India. 20 November 2015. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  27. ↑ "Mysuru to Go off Airmap Again". Star of Mysore. via HighBeam (subscription required). 23 April 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  28. ↑ "Cabinet Nod to Save Mandakalli Airport". Star of Mysore. via HighBeam (subscription required). 9 June 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  29. ↑ S, Kaushala (12 November 2016). "Shoddily-treated Mysuru airport plays its role flying new currency". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  30. 1 2 Aerodrome Data Mysore Airport (VOMY) (PDF) (Report). Airports Authority of India. 29 October 2015. pp. 9–10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  31. ↑ Google (16 October 2016). "Mysore Airport (MYQ)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  32. ↑ "Mysore airport to be ready soon". Business Standard. 26 June 2008. Archived from the original on 24 May 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  33. ↑ Kumar, R. (4 August 2014). "Ministers differ over issue of airport expansion". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 24 May 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  34. ↑ "Government to go slow on Phase II of Mysore airport". The Hindu. 26 February 2009. Archived from the original on 24 May 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  35. 1 2 Aravind, H. (4 November 2014). "Mysore Airport expansion plan remains grounded". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  36. 1 2 P., Shilpa (27 August 2016). "Hurdles over? Mysuru airport runway to have NH tunnel below". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
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