Spicejet to resume Mysore-Bangalore services soon

Private aircraft Spicejet, which withdrew services to Bangalore from Mysore due to lack of aircraft, will resume services from February 1.

However, stakeholders and businessmen are not happy with operational timings.
The Mysore Airport, situated at Mandakalli, 10 km away from the city got back its connectivity in 2013, on the day of Makara Sankranti, and had been operating flight services every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It was operating to Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai via Bangalore. However due to shortage of flights Spicejet cancelled the flight to Bangalore and started daily services to Chennai from October 27, 2013.

Spicejet has now decided to resume its service from February, as it is in a position to afford additional flights to meet the demand of  Mysore-Bangalore passengers. “The service withdrawal to Bangalore resulted in 20 per cent dip in passengers on the Mysore- Chennai route,” said, C Manjunath, Director, Mysore Airport, speaking to Deccan Herald.

Average (in-bound and out-bound) traffic was around 120 to 130 passengers per day on the Mysore to Bangalore flight and the capacity of the air carrier is 78. Manjunath added that so far the response to the air service by and large was positive, and the number of passengers had increased over a period of one year.


Six days a week

Manjunath said Spicejet will offer the service for six days , except on Tuesdays. The aircraft will depart, from Chennai at 12.10 pm and arrive in Bangalore at 1.10 pm; depart from Bangalore at 1.40 pm and land in Mysore at 2.40 pm. It will fly back from Mysore at 3.30 pm, and arrive in Bangalore at 4.25 pm; depart at 6 pm from Bangalore and land in Chennai at 7 pm. No changes have been made in the tariff.
Morning flights demanded

Stakeholders and businessmen in the city are not happy with the current flight timings. S Sudhakar Shetty, former president, Mysore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the flight to Mysore was scheduled at an odd hour (middle of the afternoon). This would be inconvenient to businessmen or corporate employees who want to fly to Bangalore for a business assignment and fly back to Mysore the same day. “It is better to have flight in the mornings,” he added.

An official from Spicejet said that there was more demand for flights from Mysore to Delhi and Mumbai, instead of Chennai and Bangalore. Also, Mysore being a tourist hub, many foreigners and domestic tourists have demanded for services to Goa, from Mysore.

However, Spicejet has not been able to meet these demands, as it would require for the company to set up an airbase at Mysore, which is an expensive proposition.
Airports Authority of India (AAI) charges only maintenance cost from flight operators and even Spicejet runs on promotional tariffs. “One can reach the national capital in less than six hours, and flights will be beneficial to most tourists and industrialists,” Manjunath added.