Shivamogga Airport will spur development in Karnataka's Malnad region: BS Yediyurappa

By Payal Mehta
New Delhi [India], February 24 : Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday said that the Shivamogga Airport, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 27, fulfils a long-standing demand of the people of the Malnad region and it will enhance connectivity as well as it will boost tourism in the state.
On the 80th birthday of BJP leader and former CM Yediyurappa, his bastion Shivamogga is all set to get a big gift. This is from the Narendra Modi-led central government in form of a world-class airport. On February 27, PM Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Shivamogga Airport in Yediyurappa's presence.
After Yediyurappa went back to state politics in the last Assembly polls, his son Y Raghavendra became Lok Sabha MP from the same seat.
This airport is all set to become the second-largest international airport in the state after the capital city.
Speaking on the developments, the former Karnataka CM told ANI how this will be extremely beneficial for the state.
"I am extremely happy that Shivamogga is now part of the transformation that PM Modi's government is ushering in India's civil aviation sector. Our country now has 148 airports which is twice the number of airports we had in 2014. PM Narendra Modi's impetus on Infrastructure making India future-ready."
Yediyurappa further said that the Shivamogga airport, which will have the second longest runway in Karnataka after Bengaluru, fulfils a long-standing demand of the people of the Malnad region.
"The airport will enhance connectivity, boost tourism and further accelerate growth across Central Karnataka," he added.
Shivamogga airport is being built on 663 acres of land with an investment of Rs 449.22 crore. After proposing the project many years ago, it was in June 2020, that BSY laid the foundation stone of this proposed project.
Yediyurappa originally mooted the project during his tenure as deputy CM in the JD(S)-BJP government.
He also tried to provide impetus during his stint as the state CM between 2009 and 2012.
The project regained momentum in late 2019 after the newly formed BJP government released Rs 45 crores for the work.
In June 2020, Yediyurappa laid the foundation for constructing the airport project's first phase at Rs 220 crore. KIADB and the state Public Works Department (PWD) are jointly executing the project.
The domestic terminal building will encompass an area of 4231.64 square meter.
Capable of handling 300 passengers (150 arrival+ 150 departure) during peak hours with all modern facilities and amenities. The building will provide aesthetically appealing and soothing interior decoration matching the contemporary structure. Airfield Ground Lighting (AGL) & Navigation & Communication System is based on ICAO.
The airport would have the longest runway of 3,200 metres after Kempe Gowda International airport, Bengaluru and is designed to operate Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 type aircraft and can handle about 200 peak-hour passengers. The project is being executed in two phases.
The first phase consists of a runway, taxiway, apron, approach road, peripheral road and compound wall construction, while the second phase consists of a terminal building, ATC tower, and fire station building.
More than a couple of times the state government has mooted the idea to name the Shivamogga airport after Yediyurappa, who is one of the tallest Lingayat leaders, but he has politely refused.
"I was touched by the gesture. However, I felt there are many illustrious personalities in Karnataka and naming the airport after any one of them will be a befitting tribute to their contribution. So, I wrote to CM Basavaraj Bommai and requested him to reconsider his decision. I am happy that the government honoured my request and decided to name the airport after Jnaanapeeth Award winner and Rashtrakavi Kuvempu," Yediyurappa told ANI.
Kuvempu is a great poet and novelist who not only hails from Malnad but also celebrated the beauty of western ghats in his literature.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi's aircraft lands at Shivamogga airport as scheduled on February 27, it will be the first aircraft to touchdown at the airport.
Yediyurappa, who will turn 80 next week, has had a political career full of twists and turns and controversies too.
He was able to bring BJP to power in 2008 for the first time in Karnataka. He resigned in 2011 as CM after being involved in a case of corruption only to be acquitted in 2016.
After forming his own political outfit, he after a brief period merged it with BJP and contested the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Shimoga and won the same.
He later contested to win the 2018 Karnataka Assembly polls.
In another turn of events a year later, BSY was able to stage a coup and 18 MLAs jumped ship to BJP from the opposition Congress and JDS and Yediyurappa became CM for the fourth time in his career. In another turn of events in July 2021, the veteran under the instructions of the party's top brass stepped down as CM to make way for Basvaraj Bommai.
Yediyurappa has also served as the BJP Karnataka president in the past.