Kalaburagi: Flight services from Kalaburagi and Bidar airports are likely to resume within a month, offering much-needed relief to residents of the two Kalyana Karnataka districts.
Flights from Kalaburagi have remained suspended since Oct 15, 2025, while services from Bidar were halted on April 16, 2026. Star Air had suspended its Bengaluru-bound flights from both airports citing low passenger occupancy.
To revive the services, the state govt has decided to extend a viability gap fund (VGF) of Rs 28.4 crore annually to Star Air. Officials said the required formalities would take at least 20 days, and if the process moves as planned, flight operations could restart within a month.
Sources said the suspension followed the end of UDAN project phase-1, after which flight operations became commercially unviable. Though airports exist in both districts, air traffic was largely limited to VIP movements. Recognising the connectivity gap, the govt has decided to extend VGF support through a grant from the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB).
There is also a view that the state government and KKRDB should share the financial burden equally instead of placing it entirely on the board. A meeting of the KKRDB is scheduled for May 12, during which the grant is expected to be approved in line with the cabinet decision.
03/05/2026 Mouneswar Sonnad/Times of India
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