Bengaluru: Impressed by the luxury 'Flybus' service that directly connects the Kempegowda International Airport with a few cities in South India, airport authorities from neighbouring states have been demanding similar services to their airports from a few cities in Karnataka.
Authorities from the Kannur International Airport have written to the KSRTC, seeking the Flybus connectivity from Mysuru, Virajpet and Madikeri to the Kannur International Airport, which is around 200 km from Mysuru. The Kannur International Airport has emerged as an alternative to KIA at Devanahalli, which is about 185 km from Mysuru, to fliers from Mysuru and surrounding areas.
A KSRTC senior official told Deccan Chronicle, “But the four-hour journey from Mysuru to the Bengaluru airport is more popular among passengers. The commuter is happy because the bus does not enter the city limits, avoids traffic and has the toilet facility. Also, passengers from other states travel in these buses. We have replied to Kannur airport authorities that we can start the services provided they get the requisite permits from the Kerala government. If this works, the Kannur International Airport will only be the second airport after KIA to get the Flybus service."
While the two airports may be more or less of same distance from Mysuru, the Kannur airport is turning out to be a closer option for fliers form Madikeri, Virajpet and other parts of Kodagu. But travelling on road from Mysuru and Kodagu to Kannur takes longer as buses have to pass through ghat sections.
The Flybus service was launched in 2013 between Mysuru and KIA. In August last year, services from Madikeri, Kundapur, Coimbatore via Salem and Tirupati were started. Eight high-end buses, which have in-built toilets, run 16 round trips (onward and return) between Mysuru and KIA. As the demand has gone up, KSRTC has also added two more buses from another route recently.
The cost of a ticket on these multi-axle 46-seater buses from Mysuru is Rs 800. In the first quarter of this financial year, over 76,000 passengers travelled in these buses, earning the KSRTC a handsome profit. Over 2 lakh passengers have availed of the services in the financial year 2017-2018.
