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Belgaum Airport

Coordinates: 15°51′33″N 74°37′03″E / 15.85917°N 74.61750°E / 15.85917; 74.61750
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Belgaum Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesBelgaum
LocationSambra, Belgaum, Karnataka, India
Opened1942; 82 years ago (1942)
Hub forStar Air
Elevation AMSL2,287 ft / 758 m
Coordinates15°51′33″N 74°37′03″E / 15.85917°N 74.61750°E / 15.85917; 74.61750
WebsiteBelgaum Airport
Map
Map
Location of airport in Karnataka
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
08/26 7,546 2,300 Asphalt/Concrete
Statistics (April 2023 - March 2024)
Passengers312,447 (Increase 4.9%)
Aircraft movements6,297 (Increase 10.3%)
Cargo tonnage12 (Decrease 68.3%)
Source: AAI[1][2][3]

Belgaum Airport (IATA: IXG, ICAO: VOBM), also known as Belagavi Airport, is a domestic airport serving Belgaum, Karnataka. The current integrated terminal building was inaugurated by the then Minister of Civil Aviation, Ashok Gajapathi Raju on 14 September 2017.[4] Near the airport, there is an Indian Air Force station, where new recruits receive basic training.

History

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Built in 1942 by the Royal Air Force (RAF),[5] Belgaum Airport is the third oldest[6][7] airport in Karnataka.[8] The RAF used the airport as a training site during World War II, providing support to the South East Asia Command. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) took control of the airport in 1956, followed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in 1962. During the 1990s, Belgaum Airport was served by East-West Airlines, Gujarat Airways, Indian Airlines, NEPC Airlines and Vayudoot. All airlines ended flights to the airport by the end of the decade.[5]

Belgaum Airport saw the return of commercial flights in 2003, with Air Deccan providing service from Bangalore.[9] Air Deccan also flew to Kolhapur and Mumbai for some time.[10] After Air Deccan completed its merger with Kingfisher Airlines in 2008, Kingfisher decided to end flights to Belgaum in June 2009.[11] Nevertheless, expansion plans for Belgaum Airport were launched in 2010, when the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Government of Karnataka signed a memorandum of understanding. Kingfisher returned in January 2011 with daily flights from Mumbai,[12] but it exited the market in November 2011 amid its own financial difficulties.[13] SpiceJet arrived at Belgaum in November 2012[14] with flights from Bangalore and later added direct flights to Chennai, Mumbai, and Hyderabad after Belgaum airport was expanded in September 2017. Spicejet served the airport till May 2018. After Hubballi airport was nominated under the UDAN scheme, Spicejet shifted all its operations to Hubballi which it operated from Belgaum Airport. The airport came into operation again after Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India began flight services to Bangalore from 11 July 2018. This was a three times a week flight operated by ATR 72 type aircraft. Air India began service to Bangalore with its Airbus A319 aircraft from 10 August 2018 on the remaining 4 days of the week thus connecting Belgaum with Bangalore all 7 days in the week. Also this was the first arrival of the Airbus A319 in Belgaum.

In 2013, the Central Government cleared the expansion project.[15] Work began in February 2015 at a cost of Rs 1.20 billion and took over two and a half years. It involved extension of the runway, construction of a new isolation bay, a taxiway, an apron for three A-320 aircraft and a new 22.5-metre tall ATC tower.[4] The expanded facilities were formally inaugurated on 14 September 2017 and AAI commissioned the new terminal and apron on 16 October 2017.[16]

In 2020, Union Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi requested that the airport be named after Kittur Rani Chennamma.[17]

Terminal and airfield

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Airport Entrance and Ticketing Counter

A new terminal building was inaugurated on 14 September 2017 as part of the airport expansion project. The terminal building is spread over 3,600 square metres and has a capacity to accommodate over 300 passengers. It has two baggage conveyor belts and six check-in counters. It has an apron for parking of three Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft.[4] The old apron has two parking stands designed for the ATR 72 and similar aircraft.[18][19] There are also two additional aprons, one on the north side of the runway that serves as an isolation bay and one on the south side. These aprons are each connected by single taxiways to runway 08/26, which measures 2,300 by 45 metres (7,546 ft × 148 ft).[19]

Expansion

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The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has decided to expand the airport in view of the rising traffic and future demands. A new passenger terminal building will be built, which will have an area of 20,000 sq.m., thereby making it bigger than the existing terminal covering 16,000 sq.m. by 3,600 sq.m. It will be equipped with all modern facilities and will have three aerobridges. It will be able to handle 1,400 passengers (700 arrivals and 700 departures) during peak hours. Other works included as part of the expansion is a new apron and a taxiway connecting to the runway, along with runway expansion to cater larger aircraft like the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, which at present do not operate even though the existing new apron is capable of handling such aircraft types due to short length of the runway. The expansion work will be undertaken at a cost of around ₹ 230 crore, and is scheduled to begin from January 2024 with a deadline of completing in 2–3 years.[20]

Airlines and destinations

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AirlinesDestinations
Fly91 Goa–Mopa, Hubli, Hyderabad[21]
IndiGo Bangalore, Delhi,[22] Hyderabad[23]
Star Air[24] Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mumbai, Nagpur, Tirupati

Statistics

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Annual passenger traffic at IXG airport. See Wikidata query.

Air Force Station

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Built by and originally under the control of the Royal Air Force, the Special Reserve Police of Karnataka took over the airbase in 1948. The air force station was a major base of air operations during Operation Vijay in 1961. Two years later, No. 1 Ground Training School at Jalahalli was moved to the base and renamed Administrative Training Institute (ATI) in 1980. In 2001, the ATI was renamed Airmen Training School (ATS). The focus of the base turned to providing Joint Basic Phase Training (JBPT) through the Basic Training Institute.[25] JBPT is designed to teach recruits military values and orient them towards a life in the military.[25][26]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Annexure III – Passenger Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Annexure IV – Freight Movement Data" (PDF). aai.aero. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Upgraded Belgaum airport inaugurated". Business Standard. Press Trusted of India. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  5. ^ a b Patil, Vijaykumar (18 October 2002). "Passenger services from Belgaum Airport soon". The Hindu. Retrieved 26 June 2016.[dead link‍]
  6. ^ Vattam, Krishna (19 October 2009). "Down Memory Lane". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  7. ^ Kaggere, Niranjan (3 March 2015). "Mining through Bellary's aviation history". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  8. ^ "Five towns that are being added to India's airport map". Livemint. 16 July 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  9. ^ "Air Deccan services to be launched today". The Hindu. 24 August 2003. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  10. ^ "Air Deccan to increase flights". Rediff.com. 16 April 2004. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  11. ^ "Flights from Belgaum airport will resume soon" (Press release). India PRwire. 14 November 2009. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  12. ^ "Kingfisher Airlines starts daily Belgaum-Mumbai flights". The Hindu. 11 January 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  13. ^ "Belgaum airport to resume flights soon". The New Indian Express. 15 October 2012. Archived from the original on 27 May 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  14. ^ Urs, Anil (9 November 2012). "SpiceJet to begin Bangalore-Belgaum service". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  15. ^ "Centre gives nod to upgrade Belgaum Airport". Deccan Chronicle. 16 November 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  16. ^ "New terminal commissioned at Belgaum airport". The Times of India. 17 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  17. ^ HS, Shreyas (16 January 2020). "Angadi bats for naming Belgaum airport after Rani Channamma". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  18. ^ "Belgaum: Technical Information". Airports Authority of India. 16 October 2012. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  19. ^ a b "Aerodrome Data: Belgaum Airport (VOBM), effective 23 July 2015" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. 27 May 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  20. ^ "Belagavi Airport to get massive upgrade – AAI releases Rs.229.57 Cr". Belagavi Infra. 9 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  21. ^ Uday (27 October 2024). "Fly91 Airlines to Connect Belagavi with Goa, Hubballi and Hyderabad". All About Belgaum. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  22. ^ "IndiGo flight from Belagavi to Delhi from October 5". Indian Express. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  23. ^ "IndiGo to start Bangalore-Belgaum flights from September 8". Economic Times. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  24. ^ "Flight schedules & Route networks". Star Air. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  25. ^ a b Mohan, R. D. (1 October 2012). "ATS Belgaum, Historic Alma Mater". Sainik Samachar. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  26. ^ M., Anantha (6 October 2013). "IAF to put airmen through new training pattern in January". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
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