Govt gives wings to airstrip project in five towns in State

The State government has revived its much-delayed plan to construct airstrips in small towns across Karnataka.

After realising that the private sector is shying away from investing in aviation projects, the government has now decided to take up construction of airstrips using its own resources. It has set up an Aviation Cell under the Karnataka State Industrial Investment and Development Corporation (KSIIDC) to take up airstrip projects with technical assistance from aviation experts.

KSIIDC managing director Naveen Raj Singh said the government had given clearance to construct no-frills, low-cost airstrips at Kushalnagar (Kodagu district), Chikkamagaluru, Karwar (Uttara Kannada district), Raichur and Vijayapura.

An airstrip is estimated to cost Rs 12 crore to Rs 15 crore, depending on the length of the runway. The plan is to construct airstrips of one to two-km length with a small terminal. However, their operation and maintenance will be handed over to the private sector, he added.

The plan to construct airstrips in 11 towns under public-private partnership model was approved in 2008 and the Infrastructure Development Department (IDD) was entrusted with the responsibility to implement the plan. The aim was to ensure air connectivity for every 100 km distance in the State. The responsibility was handed over to the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) from the IDD in 2010. But private investors did not evince interest in the project.

The government later advised the KHB to examine the possibility of implementing the project under annuity basis (wherein the investor/ contractor will invest in the project and the government will reimburse the cost in instalments).

As per the feasibility report prepared by the KHB, an airstrip would cost about Rs 20 crore under annuity basis. But the Finance Department rejected the proposal to implement the project under annuity basis as the cost would be high and it would result in poor utilisation of resources.

‘Financially viable’

Singh, however, said airstrips were financially viable. Aviation companies are ready to do non-schedule operation of small aircraft of two to twenty-seat capacity to small towns. “People have money to fly, but they do not have the means. The young IT crowd in Bengaluru is eager to spend weekends at tourist destinations in the State if they get air connectivity. Moreover, the airstrip project will give a boost to the development of tier-II cities and small towns,” he stated.

The aviation cell of KSIIDC has already started preparing the feasibility plan for five airstrips as per the guidelines of Director General of Civil Aviation. Steps will be taken to construct airstrips at all district headquarters in the coming days, he added.