Karnataka: Helitaxi from Electronic City to Kempegowda International Airport

Mysuru: A Helitaxi service will be launched from Electronic City in Bengaluru to its Kempegowda International Airport in a few weeks, according to Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Jayant Sinha.

Arriving at Mysuru airport on a Trujet flight from Chennai, the first in two years introduced as part of the Dasara bonanza, the Minister said a similar service from Bengaluru airport to Mysuru airport could be launched if there was demand for 12 seats a day.

Assuring that hurdles to expand Mysuru airport would be cleared to connect it to Delhi, Mumbai and other cities in the north and international destinations, including Dubai, he said the government intended to put Mysuru , which received 35 lakh tourists a year, on the global tourism map.

Member of Parliament, Pratap Simha said although the runway of the Mysuru airport needed to be expanded to 2600 meters to accommodate international flights, the expansion would hinder the national highway 212 and consequently an underpass had been proposed below it. Noting that the proposal was pending before the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security of India, he urged Mr Sinha to clear this hurdle soon.

Meanwhile, the first flight that landed at the airport from Chennai had over 50 per cent occupancy both on arrival and departure, according to Mr Shashikanth, sales manager, Mysuru airport.

The first passengers to arrive on the Trujet flight, Mr Srinivas Rao and his family from Hyderabad, received a traditional welcome by Mysuru district minister, Dr H C Mahadevappa, and others.