Naval Air base at Belgaum

Source: Prahaar – Prakash Bilgoji

 Belgaum is home to the MLIRC and the Air force, third part of the Indian Army the Navy is now getting itself geared up to build a Naval Airbase and stock depot at Belgaum.

 The Navy from its Goa head quarters has sent a letter to the district administration on June 17 asking for acquiring of 420 acres of land near the Sambra airport. The project will commence once they get a clearance from the central government.

The naval air base in Goa has weather problems which cause delay in landing and takeoff and as Belgaum is near and already has an established air base with airmen and also a regimental centre, Belgaum was the best choice. 

In the letter to the Belgaum district administration the Navy has asked the authorities to prepare the complete estimate of cost of land and any other costs and submit the same. 

MIG-29 planes cannot land on the Goa naval base hence Belgaum strip will be used, PRO Navy said.
Once the clearances got the project will be undertaken. 

No more, take offs from Belgaum Sambra airport

Yes this has happened again to Belgaum, the only Kingfisher flight from Belgaum to Bangalore will stop flying from 17^th June 2009. I am saying this as the website is not accepting any bookings after that date. In addition, the booking agents have been told that there would be no flights after 16 June.

  Mumbai – Belgaum route was canceled due to lack of traffic and this time Belgaum Bangalore route is being cancelled due to the same reasons of less traffic it is said. Earlier the Bangalore flight was on all days then it was rescheduled to 4 days in a week and now no more flights.

The worst part of the story then why is that land acquisition was done from farmers for expansion of the airport when there will be no take offs from there. The said Sambra airport is supposed to be completed by 2010, what will fly from there, needs to be seen.

 Fertile farmland from farmers was acquired for the expansion process, why was this done when no airline wants to fly from here. Hasn’t the Airports authority looked into the feasibility? Poor farmers and commuters of Belgaum are loosing on both fronts, farmers lost their land and commuters their way to air travel. 

I asked a frequent traveler earlier on this route and he said, he now prefers the train rather than the air because getting down at the new BIAL airport and then commuting to Bangalore city takes a lot of time and almost half the air fare. This could be one reason for low traffic he added.

 May what the reason is; no more take offs from Belgaum airport. May be it will converted into a museum or even a record of sorts a full fledged airport with no take offs.

 Poor Belgaumites!

Belgaum to Bangalore Air timings changed: Fly Kingfisher

Belgaum Air travelers face more tribulations: Fly to Bangalore only for 4 days in week

After the closure of the AirDeccan Belgaum Mumbai Flight now the Kingfisher (earlier Air Deccan) Belgaum Bangalore flight, which was on a daily basis, will now fly on all days except Tuesdays.

Infact when I searched the http://www.flykingfisher.com website, to my surprise I got two different schedules. One in which there are flights on 6 days and one in which flights are there for 4 days.
http://www.flykingfisher.com/schedule.asp?tab=2 SEE view schedules it will show flight for 4 days; Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday.

On the same page when it opens, click the Excel Format on the top Right of the current frame and an Excel format file opens in which the flight is for 6 days.
The same website but offers two different timetables.

This is effective from 19-Nov-08 to 28-Mar-09. So, all those fliers need to re look at things if you had planned otherwise. In this very blog today only, I had quoted our CM BSY saying that the Belgaum Airport expansion was going on in full swing and I have to write in this, which is very bad. You are expanding the airport for what cars or busses to move.

I checked out booking a ticket and the 4-day schedule is correct I guess.
So this means the KF flight to Bangalore is now on for only 4 days; Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday.
Why are they doing it to us? Again, reason unknown may be they say load factor, may what it be but Belgaumites are here to suffer.