Mysore Airport

Mysore Airport
ಮೈಸೂರು ವಿಮಾನ ನಿಲ್ದಾಣ

Entrance to airport
IATA: MYQ – ICAO: VOMY
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner/Operator Airports Authority of India
Serves Mysore
Location Mandakalli, Mysore, India
Elevation AMSL 2,347 ft / 715 m
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

Location in India

Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
09/27 5,709 1,740 Asphalt

Mysore Airport (IATA: MYQ, ICAO: VOMY), also known as Mandakalli Airport, is an airport serving Mysore, a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) from the city, near the village of Mandakalli. Defunct from the mid-1980s, it was modernised and reopened to scheduled services on 1 October 2010. Since then, three airlines have served the airport but all have ended service.

History

The airstrip in Mysore was built in 1948.[2] In the beginning, there were passenger flights between the airport and HAL Airport in Bangalore using Dakota aircraft, however the flights were not successful. In addition, for a short period The Hindu flew its newspapers to the airport for transport into the city.[3]

In the 1990s, regional airline Vayudoot flew to the airport using Dornier Do 228 aircraft. Famous Indian writer R. K. Narayan inaugurated the flights. At this time, Mysore Airport (then Mandakalli Aerodrome) consisted solely of a grass runway and a one-roomed terminal with one toilet.[4]

Airport upgrade

The airport was rebuilt at a cost of ₹82 crore (US$12 million). It was inaugurated by B. S. Yeddyurappa, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, on 15 May 2010. Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher had shown interest in operating flights to the city.[5] For the second phase of expansion, the State Government has sanctioned funds to lengthen the runway to 3,400 m (7,874 ft).[6] Meanwhile, a sanction has already been given for the ₹140 crore (US$21 million) civil and electrical works of the second phase. This phase will include upgrade of the airport with an apron, setting up of air traffic control, meteorological department and upgrading the terminal. Once that is completed, the airport will be able to operate the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft.

Flight services

After the airport was commissioned for operation in 2010, Kingfisher Airlines operated daily flights, connecting Mysore with Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai via Bangalore. Kingfisher operated its Kingfisher Red service to Mysore. The flights operated with nearly 75% occupancy inbound to Mysore, while the occupancy was said to be low in the outbound from Mysore, resulting in Kingfisher Airlines cancelling the flights since November 2011. Chartered flights have been operating since the airport was recommissioned, with 150 flights operating in 2010 and 155 in 2011.[7]

On 31 December 2012, SpiceJet announced flights from Mysore to Bangalore, continuing on to Chennai, from 14 January 2013. However, the airline withdrew from Mysore on 25 October 2014.[8]

Alliance Air began flights from Bangalore to the airport on 3 September 2015.[9][10] On 29 September flights were suspended due to extremely low passenger loads, possibly the result of the inconvenient, early departure time from Bangalore.[11] In response, Alliance Air changed the flight timings to in the afternoon. However, the airline ended flights on 17 November upon the termination of the financial agreement with the state government, originally planned to last for one year.[12][13]

Runway

The airport has one runway, 09/27, with dimensions 1,740 by 30 metres (5,709 ft × 98 ft). It can handle aircraft up to the size of an ATR 72.[14]

There has been trouble in launching the second phase of expansion, primarily due to the fact that National Highway 212 cuts through land needed for the extension of the runway. It has been proposed either to realign the highway, which the State Government disapproves of, or to construct a tunnel beneath the extended runway, which the Ministry of Civil Aviation does not support citing security concerns.[15] In addition, the expansion could be illogical given the low passenger service to the airport.[12][16]

Terminal

Mysore Airport has a single passenger terminal, which occupies 3,250 square feet (302 m2) and has a capacity of 150 passengers.[14]

Other facilities

The airport also has an air traffic control tower and a fire station.[14] The apron has three parking bays large enough for ATR 72 and Q400 aircraft. However, there are no cargo nor refuelling facilities at the airport.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "Mysore". Airport Authority of India.
  2. ↑ Koushik, Kailash (24 June 2011). "Flights of fancy continue at Mysore airport". The Hindu. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  3. ↑ Satya, Gouri (19 November 2011). Mysore no longer connected by air. Smartinvestor.in. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  4. ↑ Narayan, R. K. (1993). Salt & Sawdust. New Delhi: Penguin Books India. pp. 125-126.
  5. ↑ "Mysore airport officially opened". The Hindu. 15 May 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
  6. ↑ Hopes revive on Mysore airport expansion. Business Standard. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  7. ↑ "Mysore airport needs to be upgraded: MP". The Hindu. 6 January 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  8. ↑ "Mysore set to fall off the air map again". The Hindu. 22 October 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  9. ↑ "Air India puts Mysore City on Air Map". Air India. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  10. ↑ Kumar, Krishna R. (3 September 2015). Alliance Air launches Bengaluru-Mysuru service. The Hindu. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  11. ↑ Srinivasan, Sarayu (8 October 2015). Single flight, with sometimes just a passenger- The Mysuru airport that's just not taking off. The News Minute. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  12. 1 2 Kumar, R. Krishna (26 November 2015). Questions raised over viability of Mysuru airport. The Hindu. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  13. ↑ "Air Alliance suspends Mysuru-Bengaluru flight". Webindia123. 20 November 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  14. 1 2 3 "Mysore airport resurrected". Business Standard. 4 October 2010. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  15. ↑ S., Aravind (3 August 2014). Mysore Airport expansion plans runs aground. The Times of India. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  16. ↑ Aravind, H. M. (4 November 2014). Mysore Airport expansion plan remains grounded. The Times of India. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  17. ↑ "AERODROME DATA MYSORE AIRPORT (VOMY)". Airports Authority of India. 29 October 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2016.

External links

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