CH NEWS, SHIVAMOGGA
Tourism in the district has taken off after the airport was built. But for some reason, the flight operations have been suspended, leaving people disappointed.
The Rashtrakavi Kuvempu Airport, built at a cost of Rs 450 crore in Sogane, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 27, 2023. Flight services began in August of the same year. This has opened a new route of air connectivity not only to Shivamogga but also to the surrounding areas.
Earlier, one had to travel from Bengaluru to Shivamogga by road or train and from there to the tourist destinations. Now, many tourists who come by road or by plane have the opportunity to travel to various places in a short time. This has helped in attracting tourists from the big cities.
The district is home to a host of attractions that attract tourists, including the grandeur of Jog Falls, the lush green forests of Agumbe, the nature of Thirthahalli, the historical beauty of Sagar, the Sakrebailu elephant camp, and the biodiversity of the Bhadra forest area.
If tourists from distant cities can easily reach these destinations through the airport, it will further boost local tourism.
Tourism cannot be fully developed just by building an airport. In addition to air connectivity, good roads, tourist guides, safe accommodation, cleanliness, local transport and tourist destination infrastructure are also necessary.
As the number of tourists increases, the demand for hotels, homestays, resorts, tourist vehicles, local food stalls, and tourist guides has increased. This has created employment opportunities for local youth.
IndiGo and SpiceJet temporarily suspended services in May due to technical and DGCA clearance issues, causing inconvenience to tourists.
38,647 passengers used the airport in 2023-24, 1.17 lakh in 2024-25 and 1.86 lakh in 2025-26. This shows how important the airport is for tourism in the Malnad region.
