From the TOI.
"This comes amid CM B S Yeddyurappa’s Sept 15 deadline for the authorities to complete Phase I and operationalise the airport during Dasara festivities. But airlines are still far from sure of Mysore’s potential. So far, no airline has charted out any flight-path to Mysore"
a. Mysore has tremendous potential for tourism. This airport should have been functional long before Dasara started and could have been formally inaugurated during Dasara. That way people who want to visit Mysore from other states could have flown directly. We have lost a year now.
b. There is enough non-Dasara related tourism - Bandipur, Kabini, Coorg, BR Hills to have at least 2-3 ATR flights a day.
c. Infosys has a massive training campus near the airport. They ferry thousands a year to that place.
I think airlines are being very short sighted.
Srivathsa
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Comments
Wrong Timing, Perhaps...
This may be so now with the ripples of the economic downturn that has had a serious negative impact on most airlines.
I think when airlines are out from this glut, things will improve. Mysore will be too important a market for them to ignore.
Could be utilized by low-cost carriers
It could be good choice for low-cost airlines if they are agressive like Ryanair which flies from "nowhere to nowhere," and if the airport management can keep the prices competitive compared to big airports. If somebody is coming from say Delhi to Bangalore, 90% they can fly and last 150 km they can use some other modes.
Nothing to worry
Srivatsa,
I think this is blow out of proportion.
You see when the govt, finished a project, it is media's self imposed responsibility to tear it down. By asking a few airlines (with no credible sources) doesnt give you an answer. Maybe a few airlines dont want to operate flights - fair enough!
But as you mentioned I am sure out of all the 12 airlines in India atleast 2-3 ATR flights will ply per day. And they probably wont be BLR - Mysore sector more like, Bombay/Hyd/Chennai Mysore sectors.
And as soon as one guy starts a flight more will follow.
If no one does, I wouldnt mind starting a regional airline for mysore and around :) quite a profitable idea...
User Interaction Designer
Bangalore
Air Traffic Unable to Handle by BIAL - Is it blessing to Mysore?
Bangalore Air Traffic is high and not able to handle by BIAL as said in media reports recently. Is this a boon to Mysore Airport?
Why not a joint venture between BIAL and Mysore Airport? High speed rail link can be built between BIAL and Mysore airport with stops at Mysore Airport,Mysore, Bangalore - MG Road, Hebbal - BIAL. This will be a boon for Bangalore-Mysore travellers as well as they get high speed raillink to travel between two cities say in 1 hour and it won't remain as white elephant. Track between Bangalore-Mandakalli Airport can be at grade and will reduce the construction costs.
New Planes which has got no airspace to operate out of Bangalore can operate from Mysore Airport. UDF will not be present in Mysore Airport and fares can be much cheaper.
Can someone like Capt. Gopinath and eminent citizens of Mysore can take it forward...
Viability gap funding to sustain air services to Mysore city
The State government’s decision to provide viability gap funding (VGF) of Rs. 9.5 lakh per month to Alliance Air will ensure reliable air connectivity to the city to shore up its tourism and investment prospects.
In the earlier two attempts to bring flights to Mysuru, the private airlines withdrew services citing loss owing to poor patronage. But the VGF commitment is expected to help the airline make good the loss due to poor patronage, if any.
Minister for Tourism R.V. Deshpande said the VGF should be construed as an investment as it will pay rich dividends in future and the government had a similar approach when the Hubbali and Belagavi airports remained underutilised many years ago.
“Now, they are commercially viable routes and the government does not pay anything,” said Mr. Deshpande, who arrived here by the inaugural flight along with Revenue Minister V. Srinivas Prasad. The government was persuading airlines to operate flights to Mysuru, but they were reluctant apprehending commercial viability. Hence the Department of Tourism came forward to provide VGF initially so that the airline could start the operations with the support of the government till the services become commercially viable. The VGF of Rs. 9.5 lakh a month is for one year, according to the Minister.
Expressing optimism over the commercial viability of the new service, Mr. Deshpande said Mysuru had everything going for it and was a good tourism and educational hub but the industrial development had not taken off as expected and lack of air connectivity was one of the reasons.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/viability-gap-funding-to-sustain-air-services-to-city/article7614541.ece?ref=tpnews
Look at Rs 9.5 Lakhs VGF for 26 days months for the arilines to fly to Mysore.
That means per day 15,000 per trip so called VGF ( Subsidy ) to airlines to make Mysore airport operational. This is apart from AAI incurring other expenditure to keep Airport in working condition.
This is how Air connectivity is boosted and both GOI and GOK have no interest to improve travell time between both cities by Rail bu completing doubling and running direct trains from Devanahlli to Mysore morning and evening with Shatabdi type coaches.
Let Mysore be connected directly to Hubli , Mumbai and Chennai and their is no point having air connectivity between both cities. As both airports are other ends of the city and most of the comapnies are located at Mysore towards Bangalore. Regional air connectivity will not work for Mysore except to Hubli and Chennai.
My be flight from Bangalore - Hubli morning ( 6:30am ) touches Hubli at 7:45 AM
Then same flight goes to Mysore from Hubli touching Mysore at 9:15 AM
Return from Mysore to Hubli at 5PM and From Hubli to Bangalore at 7PM.
This way air passengers can be attracted from Hubli to Mysore and Bangalore.