Longer Mysuru runway? Not yet

Mysuru: Although it is over one- and -a-half years since the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security gave its clearance for building an underpass  under the runway of the Mysuru airport once it is extended to allow for seamless run of traffic on National Highway 212,  land acquisition for both the expansion and underpass has  still not been completed.

The master plan of the Airport Authority of India provides for extension of the airport's runway from 1740 meters to 2750 meters at an estimated cost of Rs 700 crore. While the  240 acres required for the expansion was identified in 2007-8 by the KIADB, it has still not  been acquired.

KIADB sources said the proposal to acquire the 115 acres, which had already been notified, for Rs 1.5 crore per acre was sent to the government four months ago and its approval was awaited. "A proposal for preliminary notification of another 44 acres of land and final notification of 46 acres more was also sent to the government five months ago," they said.

Currently,  the runway at the Mysuru airport can accommodate ATR flights of 72 -seater capacity. Once it is extended, it will be able to accommodate national and international flights of at least 180 -seater capacity.

As National Highway 212  comes in the way of the runway extension, it was proposed to build an  underpass below it and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security cleared the proposal in May last year.

In a related development, Alliance Air flights to Kochi,  which were launched in July from Mysuru, could be stopped by mid- November as the Kochi international airport may be closed for  maintenance work, according to  Mysuru Airport Authority sources.