Resumption of Bidar-Bengaluru Flight Services Under Review

Karnataka's Infrastructure Development Minister M B Patil has directed officials to discuss the resumption of flight services between Bidar and Bengaluru with private civil aviation providers. The service, initially launched with an Indian Airforce flight in 2020 and halted last December, may resume if subsidies under the UDAN scheme are reinstated.

In a move to enhance regional connectivity, Karnataka's Infrastructure Development Minister M B Patil has instructed officials to engage private civil aviation service providers in discussions about resuming flights between Bidar and Bengaluru. The flight service, which has been halted, is crucial for the border district of Hyderabad Karnataka.

A high-level meeting at Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday saw participation from Eshwar Khandre, Forest Minister and Bidar district in-charge, and Rahim Khan, Minister for Municipal Administration. Patil emphasized the importance of submitting a proposal for the resumption of 72-seater flights within two weeks.

Addressing the service stoppage, Khandre noted that the flights, initially introduced with an Indian Airforce plane in 2020, were halted in December. Service providers pointed to the discontinuation of the UDAN scheme subsidy as the reason for the stoppage, expressing willingness to restart services if the subsidy is extended. Khandre urged the state government to consider providing this financial support.