Karnataka‘s Bidar airport begins operations with its first TruJet flight connecting directly to Bengaluru, as a part of Government’s UDAN scheme. By Tanvi Jain
The Bidar Airport of Karnataka recently kick-started its operations with a TruJet flight connecting it to Bengaluru, as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN).
The cost of rebuilding the Bidar Airport under the RCS-UDAN is estimated to be around INR 11 crore and will be borne by the state government with the help of the central Government.
The project has been made possible by airport operator GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL), who under the UDAN programme signed the concession to operate the civilian enclave at Bidar Airport.
Over 65 per cent of Trujet’s flights fly to RCS airports as a part of this scheme.
The service was inaugurated in Bengaluru, by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and Bidar MP Bhagwanth Khuba, who even took a round trip in the same flight to and from Bidar.
The first direct flight from Bidar to Bengaluru was later flagged off by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) On February 10.
The flight departs from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport at 11:25 am and arrives in Bidar at 1:05 pm. However, the flight from Bidar takes off at 1:35 pm and arrives in Bengaluru at 3:15 pm.
Bidar is the 24th station in Trujet’s network and will be connected to Bengaluru with a daily service. After Bidar, Karnataka now has eight operational airports across the state. Earlier people from Bidar travelling to Bengaluru had no other option but to commute via train or bus and cover a journey of 11 hours.
In order to celebrate the launch and the arrival of spring, Trujet also came up with a four-day ‘Spring Surprise’ sale priced at a base fare of INR 699 across the network.
With a fleet of seven ATR-72 aircraft, Trujet operates in 24 stations from three hubs.
Located in the north-east part of Karnataka, Bidar is home to many religious shrines and monuments, such as the Guru Nanak Jhira Sahib, Bidar Fort, Rangeen Mahal, Tarkash Mahal, Gagan Mahal, Takht Mahal and more. It’s also known for its Bidriware metal handicraft.
Last year, a new airport began operations in Kalaburgi as well, connecting Bengaluru with the Hyderabad-Karnataka region. The other airports now operational in the state are in Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi, Belagavi, and Bellary.
As per the Aviation Ministry, as many as 252 commercial routes and 45 airports have been made operational since the launch of RCS-UDAN in 2017.
Related: Bengaluru Folks, Care For A Quick Road Trip Around The State?
