Shivamogga Airport to operate night flights in 6 months

Shivamogga: Three years after it was operationalised, the Rastrakavi Kuvempu Airport in Shivamogga is finally set to start night flights within the next six months.Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSIIDC) chairman SG Nanjayyanamath on Monday said that all necessary measures were taken to enable night operations at the facility.Although it is the second-biggest airport in Karnataka after Bengaluru, the Shivamogga airport has so far lacked night-flight capability due to technical issues. It has also faced operational challenges that led to frequent cancellations or diversions to nearby airports, inconveniencing passengers.Nanjayyanamath said work worth around Rs 6 crore will commence by the end of Feb. The airport's licence—which had been held up due to administrative delays—has now been renewed for three years after the payment of a Rs 22 lakh fine, he said.To minimise cancellations caused by bad weather and to support cargo movement, the tender process for installing the Doppler Very High Frequency Omni-Range (DVOR) navigation system has been completed, and electrification works are already finished. Soil testing for the night-landing system is under way, with reports expected within a week, he said.He added that he will request the Union civil aviation minister to extend UDAN connectivity to Shivamogga to keep fares affordable for the growing number of passengers travelling to Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Goa. Plans are also being discussed to develop a large commercial complex and a five-star hotel on 17 acres of airport land under a public-private partnership model. Previous attempts to attract private players for a pilot training centre failed, but the govt will soon invite fresh applications, he said.Nanjayyanamath further said that he would discuss with the chief minister the allocation of sites to 370 farmer families who had given up land for the airport project, following a favourable court order.