After Rs 69 cr, Mysore airport not for big birds

Bangalore: Karnataka’s dreams of getting the Mysore Airport to take off in a big way hit another snag with the Airports Authority of India shooting down current plans to extend the airport’s second runway.
With the commercial launch of the Rs 69.29-crore Mysore Airport being put off for the umpteenth time because of lack of interest from commercial airlines, the government’s plans to develop airports in Tier-II cities had already hit a roadblock.
The feasibility report on the Mysore Airport prepared by the AAI (a copy of which is with Express), said that there is no scope for the extension of the second runway 09/27. The runway was conceived to operate ATR type aircraft — twinturboprop aircraft with a seating capacity ranging between 45 and 75 approximately.
The Mysore airport, located about 8 km away from the city on the Mysore-Ooty National Highway, has two unpaved runways (05/23 and 09/27). The runway 05/23 is now being used for small aircraft by nonscheduled operators. “There is no scope for extension of this runway (09/27) on either side due to the presence of a railway track in the south-west direction and national highway and Chamundi Hills in the north-east direction,” states the report.
02/01/10 Hemanth CS/ExpressBuzz

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Categories: Airports Jan 2010