Modi to open Shivamogga airport today: 10 things you should know

On Monday, February 27, the greenfield domestic airport in Shivamogga, Karnataka, constructed under the Centre’s UDAN scheme, is set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Following an unsuccessful attempt in the 2000s, the project was restarted by then Chief Minister of Karnataka – B S Yediyurappa (BSY), in June 2020. It is anticipated that the airport will be available for commercial use by the end of 2023.

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The airport will have a passenger terminal building shaped like a lotus, an aircraft apron, a single runway, and parking facilities for cars. It is intended to handle approximately 300 passengers during peak hours.

Here are a few know you need to know about the new airport:—

1. Built on a vast area of 662.38 acres of land, the airport not only comprises a runway and terminal building but also includes an Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower, fire station building, taxiway, apron, approach road, peripheral road, and a compound wall.

2. In June 2020, the foundation of the Shivamogga airport was laid by the then Chief Minister of Karnataka, B S Yediyurappa, who championed the cause of the new airport.

3. On Tuesday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully landed one of its aircraft at the recently constructed airport, indicating that it was ready for operations.

4. Earlier this month, Yediyurappa said a proposal to rename Shivamogga Airport after Rashtrakavi Kuvempu has been submitted to the Centre.

5. Kuppali Venkatappa Puttappa, widely known as Kuvempu, was an eminent Kannada poet and author of the 20th century. He was born on December 29, 1904, in Mysore and was the first among Kannada writers to receive the esteemed Jnanpith Award.

6. The state government first proposed naming the airport after Yediyurappa, but he had urged Chief Minister Bommai not to do so, considering it to be inappropriate. BSY had suggested naming the airport after any other personality from Karnataka instead.

7. With a runway length of 3,200 metre, the airport will have the second-longest runway in the state, after the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.

8. The new airport has been constructed to handle aircraft like ATR-72, Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 and may later be able to accommodate larger aircraft later due to the long length of its runway.

9. The Shivamogga airport has been developed at the cost of around ₹450 crore and will provide a fillip to development in the Malnad region of the state.

10. The construction of the airport in Shivamogga is a part of Karnataka’s efforts to promote air connectivity throughout the state, encouraging investors and industries to explore beyond Bengaluru and address the issue of regional disparity.

Was to be named after BSY

It must be noted that the newly built airport in Shivamogga was to be named after former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, according to an announcement made by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on February 10. The state government was to send a proposal to the Centre, recommending the same. The decision was taken in recognition of Yediyurappa’s contributions towards the project’s completion.

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Many saw the decision of the Bommai government to name the airport after former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa as an attempt to appease the senior leader, who is reportedly dissatisfied with being side-lined since his removal as Karnataka Chief Minister in 2021.

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Despite being appointed to the BJP Parliamentary Board and Central Election Committee last year, Yediyurappa’s discontentment has not been fully addressed. The move to name the airport after him was seen as an attempt to win back his support.

However, this move was quashed by Yediyurappa himself, who instead suggested the name of renowned Kannada poet – Rashtrakavi Kuvempu, for the brand-new Shivamogga airport.

This event is also important as Karnataka is due for polls and the BJP is leveraging the inauguration to better its chances in the forthcoming elections.

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