Shivamogga flights grounded: Minister blames 'broken' federal policy as state scrambles for a fix

Karnataka government has formulated a comprehensive policy to promote civil aviation in the state, which will be placed before the next Cabinet meeting, Infrastructure Development Minister MB Patil said on November 10. Explaining the proposed policy, Patil said it would cover several aspects, including financial assistance, viability gap funding (VGF) and the efficient management of airports operated by the state government. He added that the policy could serve as a model for the country. Blaming shortcomings in the Union government's UDAN-2 scheme for the suspension of flight services from Shivamogga airport, Patil alleged that the Centre had failed to give due consideration to the state's proposals.

Also, read: Karnataka to set up Flight Training Organisation at Shivamogga airport He also pointed out that the Centre had handed over Mangaluru airport to Adani Group and is now moving towards privatising Hubballi airport. The state had spent Rs 1,000 crore on developing Kalaburagi airport and subsequently handed it over to the Centre but had not received any financial assistance in return, he said. Patil asked BJP MP BY Raghavendra, who has criticised the state government over the suspension of flights from Shivamogga, to take note of these developments. "We had suggested extending UDAN scheme from three years to five years, followed by another five years of joint operations by the state and Union governments, with both sharing the expenditure equally.

This would have yielded better results. However, the Centre did not give due consideration to our proposal. Consequently, flight operations at 17 airports across the country have now been suspended," he said. Patil said it was inappropriate for the state to invest thousands of crores of rupees in developing airports only to hand them over to the Union government. "That is why we are managing the airports at Shivamogga, Raichur and Vijayapura ourselves. Flight services at the previously non-operational Kalaburagi airport were restored with 80 percent of the funding provided by Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) and remaining 20 percent by the state government.

If Raghavendra is capable, let him arrange similar funding for Shivamogga airport," he said. Patil had earlier posted on X that Karnataka government would introduce a new model civil aviation policy at the next Cabinet meeting. The policy, he said, would address such issues and help airports become operational and function smoothly, adding that connectivity was important for regional economic growth. Also, read: Shivamogga will be the first airport to be operated, maintained by Karnataka government: MB Patil Shivamogga airport faces flight suspension from November 21 Shivamogga airport, which has been operational for the past three years, could see flight operations come to a complete halt from November 21.

Star Air, the only remaining airline operating from the airport, has stopped accepting bookings beyond that date. IndiGo and SpiceJet have already withdrawn their services from the airport. The latest development comes nearly three years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the facility, raising concerns over the future of regional air connectivity as the subsidy period under the UDAN scheme ends. Nearly Rs 450 crore was spent on developing the airport. Also, read: Karnataka: Shivamogga airport begins commercial operations; state govt to provide Rs 500 subsidy per ticket Patil blames Gadkari for ethanol crisis In a separate issue, Patil alleged that Union government had created a crisis by allowing ethanol to be blended with petrol beyond prescribed limits, holding Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari primarily responsible.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has defended the Centre's actions. Patil, meanwhile, called for a comprehensive investigation into the matter. "They refuse to believe me when I speak the truth about ethanol. Let them ask sugar industry leaders such as Murugesh Nirani and Prabhakar Kore. Did we not send petrol samples to the Union government's own laboratories for testing? Why, then, should there be any doubt about the test results?" he asked. Patil said ethanol stocks at sugar factories had exceeded their storage capacities, adding that the problem is not confined to Karnataka, with Maharashtra facing a similar situation.

The situation was relatively better only in Uttar Pradesh, he said. The Union government had encouraged excessive ethanol production but failed to ensure adequate procurement, Patil alleged. He said scheme should initially have been introduced on a pilot basis in four or five districts to assess its advantages and disadvantages. Instead, Gadkari introduced the ethanol-blending system abruptly, resulting in the present crisis, he alleged. Also, read: Karnataka's Shivamogga airport to be operational from Aug 31, six months after inauguration by PM Modi