Parliament Question: Flight Operations at Shivamogga Airport

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 3024 ( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 6th August 2026 ) FLIGHT OPERATIONS AT SHIVAMOGGA AIRPORT 3024. SHRI B Y RAGHAVENDRA Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:- (a) whether the Government has received any proposal from the State Government of Karnataka for inclusion of the Bengaluru-Shivamogga-Bengaluru (BLR-RQY- BLR) sector under the modified Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN and if so, the details thereof along with the action taken thereon; (b) whether the Government proposes to accord priority consideration to the restoration of scheduled commercial flight services on the Bengaluru-Shivamogga sector under the said scheme in view of the suspension of services and the growing public demand for improved regional connectivity; and (c) whether the Government proposes to introduce suitable policy measures under the said scheme to prioritise the revival and sustainability of regional air routes that have demonstrated proven passenger demand and significant socio-economic importance and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol) (a) to (c): The Government has recently launched the modified UDAN Scheme on 04.07.2026, to further enhance regional air connectivity across the country. The modified scheme envisages connecting 120 new unserved and underserved destinations and facilitating travel for 4 crore passengers over the next 10 years. As per the provisions of the Scheme, the Government of Karnataka may identify and propose State Priority Routes including those connecting Shivamogga, for inclusion in the bidding process, based on regional connectivity requirements, passenger demand and operational feasibility.To strengthen the operational viability of regional routes and promote sustainable passenger traffic, the Scheme incorporates a longer VGF mechanism extending up to five years, progressively tapered to enable airlines to transition towards commercially sustainable operations. ******