KKCCI office felicitated Star Air Regional Business Manager Mohammed Sohail Ahmed during his visit to Kalaburagi to discuss the resumption of flight services. | Photo credit: ARUN KULKARNI
The Kalyana Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCI) has urged airlines to resume flight services from the Kalaburagi airport at the earliest, citing strong passenger demand and growing economic importance of the region.
The request was made during a meeting with Mohammed Sohail Ahmed, Regional Sales Manager (South) of Star Air, who visited the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and discussed the revival of air connectivity under the hub’s modified UDAN (UDAN 2.0) scheme.
During the interaction, KKCCI President Sharanabasappa M. Pappa and Honorary Secretary Shivraj V. Inginshetty said that resumption of flights is a long pending demand and expressed confidence that better connectivity will boost business, industry, education and healthcare in Kalyana Karnataka.
The KKCCI representatives also presented a memorandum to Mr. Sohail Ahmed urging him to resume services, stating that the airport is equipped with the necessary infrastructure, including night landing facilities. It has earlier recorded successful operations under the UDAN scheme.
Leaders of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry have called for reviving the Kalaburagi-Bengaluru route and extending connectivity to major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Tirupati, Goa, Mangaluru and Ahmedabad.
They also highlighted the need for both morning and night flight services to improve passenger comfort and enable better onward connections.
In response, Mr. Sohail Ahmed expressed interest in resuming operations from Kalaburagi, drawing on past experience of operating flights from the airport.
To improve viability, KKCCI has suggested adopting hub or hop based routes connecting Kalaburagi with key destinations via Bengaluru and Hyderabad, which can increase passenger load and operational efficiency.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry also expressed concern over the high fares during earlier operations and suggested that fares on the Kalaburagi-Bengaluru sector be capped below ₹5,000 under UDAN to ensure accessibility for common passengers.
“As part of our efforts to revive air services, we have approached several airlines, including Shankh Air, Al Hind Air, Fly Express, IndiGo, Akasa Air and Fly91, and invited them to consider operating from Kalaburagi,” Mr Pappa told The Hindu after the meeting.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry met the Union Civil Aviation Minister in December 2025 and submitted a memorandum demanding resumption of flights. With the launch of UDAN 2.0, she said the time is right to reconnect the region.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry has reiterated its commitment to extend full support to airlines and authorities for the timely resumption of flight services.
Published – 01 April 2026 22:10 IST
