Mysuru: It was a happy moment for Kerala-based professor Ms Saly Abraham who lives in Mysuru as her long awaited flight to Kochi was launched on Friday morning enabling her to reach Kerala to visit her aged parents in just one hour 30 minutes, all at a cost of Rs 1500.
"We used to travel for 10 hours in a car and spend Rs 10,000 to reach Kochi from Mysuru" she said recollecting how the flight has come as a big blessing for her.
Sam Cherian, Vice Chairman of Mysuru literary forum charitable trust who is passionate about flying in inaugural flights from Mysuru ever since the first flight was launched five years ago, travelled to Kochi with his wife in the inaugural flight on Friday.
The airport has now became more vibrant with three more direct flights to Kochi, Goa and Hyderabad. These flights were launched under the UDAN regional connectivity scheme. So far, there were direct flights only to Chennai and Bengaluru from Mysuru airport. Mysuru Kodagu MP Mr Pratap Simha formally launched these flights by launching the flight to Goa on Friday afternoon. The inaugural flights were given a traditional water cannon salute at Mysuru airport.
Alliance Air which is already operating a Mysuru to Bengalurua 70 seater flight, began operating daily direct flights from Mysuru to all three new destinations from Friday. On the inaugural flights there were 65 passengers to Kochi, 58 passengers to Goa and 50 passengers to Hyderabad.
Both flights to Chennai and Hyderabad from Mysuru had more than 85 per cent occupancy, according to Mysuru airport director Mr Manjunath.
Hotel owners association head Mr Narayangowda said that 40 percent of the tourists to Mysuru are from other states with at least 15 to 20 percent of them from Kerala and 5 percent from Goa.
Mysuru travel agents felt that 60 percent of the air travellers will be tourists. The enhancement of air connectivity will lead to a boom in the tourism sector of Mysuru by atleast 20 to 30 percent. Also sources from Mysuru industries association said there will be a boom in the industrial sector by not less than 20-30 percent over a period of time with enhanced air connectivity.
The flight from Hyderabad to Mysuru which departs from Hyderabad at 6.05am will reach Mysuru at 7.50am. The flight from Mysuru to Hyderabad which departs at 7.20pm will reach Hyderabad at 9.05pm. The flight from Mysuru to Kochi will depart at 8.15am and reach Kochi at 9.45am.
The flight from Kochi to Mysuru will depart from Kochi at 10.10am and reach Mysuru at 11.40am. The flight from Mysuru to Goa will depart at 3.20pm and reach Goa at 4.50pm. The flight from Goa to Mysuru will depart from Goa at 5.20pm and reach Mysuru at 6.50pm.
As an inaugural offer, the air fare for the Mysuru-Hyderabad flight will be Rs 2100, Mysuru-Kochi will start at Rs 1400 and Mysuru- Goa at Rs 1900.
