Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Shivamogga airport, built at a cost of Rs 450 crore, in poll-bound Karnataka.
The new airport has been developed at a cost of around Rs 450 crore. The lotus-shaped passenger terminal building of the airport can handle 300 passengers per hour.
The greenfield domestic airport at Sogane in Shivamogga district has been built under the Centre’s UDAN scheme aimed to make air travel affordable to all.
“This airport in Shivamogga will boost commerce and increase connectivity,” PM Modi said.
The PM reiterated that the airport in Shivamogga is being inaugurated at a time when the enthusiasm for air travel is at an all-time high in India.
He said that only recently, Air India completed a deal to purchase the largest passenger aircraft in the world. “Before 2014 during the Congress regime, Air India was generally discussed in a negative light and its identity had always been associated with scams where it was deemed a loss-making business model,” he said.
Highlighting the Air India of today, the Prime Minister said that it is recognized as the potential of the new India where it is soaring to the heights of success.
He noted the expanding aviation market of India and informed that the country will require thousands of aircrafts in the near future where thousands of youthful citizens will be needed as a workforce. Even though we are importing these aircraft today, the Prime Minister emphasized that the day is not far when the citizens of India will fly in Made in India passenger aeroplanes.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and former CM BS Yediyurappa were also present at the event to launch the airport.
The event coincided with the 80th birthday of Karnataka BJP strongman and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.
Shivamogga is the home district of Yediyurappa, a four-time Chief Minister.
This was Modi’s fifth visit this year to poll-bound Karnataka, where Assembly elections are due by May.
