<p>Shivamogga/DHNS: Night flight operations will commence from Shivamogga airport in the next four months, said Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Chairman S G Nanjayanamath. Currently, the airport handles only daytime flights.</p><p>Nanjayanamath visited the airport at Sogane and reviewed arrangements here on Wednesday. </p><p>Speaking to mediapersons, later, he said that out of the vast 780 acres of land reserved for the airport, it has been proposed to lease out about 111 acres of land to the private sector for the construction of hotels, malls and commercial complexes for a period of at least 30 years near the airport at Sogane. </p><p>The tender process for some pending civil works, lighting system and night landing related works at the airport has been completed and the work is underway. He said that this work will be completed in a short period of time and will be open for public service.</p><p>Providing necessary facilities to the passengers in the area adjacent to the airport will benefit them.</p><p>Many pending works have been noted here. He said that an appropriate decision will be taken in this regard in the board of directors meeting to be held in Bengaluru on October 17, he explained.</p><p>Furnishing details about response from the public, he said that, as many as 17,000 passengers have travelled by air from Shivamogga in the first year of the commencement of air traffic, 92,000 in the second year and 1.10 lakh in the current year.</p><p>He said that the number of people using the airline has increased significantly. Besides, flight traffic is only to limited places like Hyderabad, Goa, Chennai, Tirupathi, and Bengaluru. Plans are afoot to expand it to other places of the country, he added.</p><p>The airport is yet to pay Rs 30 lakh fine imposed by The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for not providing the necessary infrastructure as suggested by the experts team. All the shortcomings identified by the team in the past have already been rectified.</p><p>He said that if the the team visits and inspects this time, the license will be renewed for the next three years.</p><p><strong>Sites to land owners</strong></p><p>The government had earlier agreed to provide sites to 371 landowners who had given up their lands for the airport. However, so far, no landowner has been awarded site by the government.</p><p>Repeated pleas have been submitted by landowners to the government in this regard, but in vain. </p><p>Upset at this, the landowners are holding an indefinite dharna in front of the airport at Sogane from October 9. </p><p>Nanjayanamath also promised that he would have consultations with the concerned department officials to provide sites to the affected families at the earliest.</p>
<p>Shivamogga/DHNS: Night flight operations will commence from Shivamogga airport in the next four months, said Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Chairman S G Nanjayanamath. Currently, the airport handles only daytime flights.</p><p>Nanjayanamath visited the airport at Sogane and reviewed arrangements here on Wednesday. </p><p>Speaking to mediapersons, later, he said that out of the vast 780 acres of land reserved for the airport, it has been proposed to lease out about 111 acres of land to the private sector for the construction of hotels, malls and commercial complexes for a period of at least 30 years near the airport at Sogane. </p><p>The tender process for some pending civil works, lighting system and night landing related works at the airport has been completed and the work is underway. He said that this work will be completed in a short period of time and will be open for public service.</p><p>Providing necessary facilities to the passengers in the area adjacent to the airport will benefit them.</p><p>Many pending works have been noted here. He said that an appropriate decision will be taken in this regard in the board of directors meeting to be held in Bengaluru on October 17, he explained.</p><p>Furnishing details about response from the public, he said that, as many as 17,000 passengers have travelled by air from Shivamogga in the first year of the commencement of air traffic, 92,000 in the second year and 1.10 lakh in the current year.</p><p>He said that the number of people using the airline has increased significantly. Besides, flight traffic is only to limited places like Hyderabad, Goa, Chennai, Tirupathi, and Bengaluru. Plans are afoot to expand it to other places of the country, he added.</p><p>The airport is yet to pay Rs 30 lakh fine imposed by The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for not providing the necessary infrastructure as suggested by the experts team. All the shortcomings identified by the team in the past have already been rectified.</p><p>He said that if the the team visits and inspects this time, the license will be renewed for the next three years.</p><p><strong>Sites to land owners</strong></p><p>The government had earlier agreed to provide sites to 371 landowners who had given up their lands for the airport. However, so far, no landowner has been awarded site by the government.</p><p>Repeated pleas have been submitted by landowners to the government in this regard, but in vain. </p><p>Upset at this, the landowners are holding an indefinite dharna in front of the airport at Sogane from October 9. </p><p>Nanjayanamath also promised that he would have consultations with the concerned department officials to provide sites to the affected families at the earliest.</p>