Fulfilling a long-pending demands of Mysore residents for a flight connection to Bengaluru, the Union Government has introduced flights from Mysuru to Bengaluru beginning 7 June, Star Of Mysore has reported.

The route will be operated as part of the third phase of Modi government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) or UDAN Scheme (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik),

Newly elected Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha announced that Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, will operate the 70-seater ATR-72 on the route five days a week barring Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Pratap Simha expressed optimism that the new flights between the cultural capital Mysuru and the State capital Bengaluru will give further impetus to the economic development and increase the tourist potential of Mysuru.

Pratap Simha in his press release also mentioned that TruJet flight that began its daily operations on 20 September 2017 from Mysuru to Chennai has turned profitable and that is a good sign.

He then added saying that under UDAN-3 scheme Mysuru has also bagged four routes which are to Goa, Kochi, Belagavi and Hyderabad.

Pratap Simha credited and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Civil Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha for ensuring the inclusion of Mysuru in the UDAN-3 scheme.

TruJet is currently operating a daily flights to Chennai from Mysuru with an impressive 95 per cent occupancy rate and many expect Mysuru-Bengaluru flights to achieve the same level of success.

An earlier flight service introduced between Mysuru and Bengaluru introduced in 2016-17 was later withdrawn due to poor patronage and operated flights only during Dasara festival.

Poor patronage was attributed to the schedule of the Alliance Air flights which departed from Bengaluru for Mysuru at 6 am and returning to Bengaluru at 8 am.

The new timings are regarded as very convenient for people who are taking connecting flights, both domestic and international, from the Bengaluru Airport.

The flights from Bengaluru, AI 9539 will depart from the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) at 10.30 am and arrive at the Mysore Airport in Mandakalli at 11.25 am. The flight from Mysuru, flight AI 9540 will depart at 12 noon and arrive at KIA, Bengaluru at 1 pm.

Under the UDAAN scheme which has a price cap and subsidies, the fare for the one-hour Bengaluru-Mysuru flight is Rs.1,580 (Rs. 1,365 if booked on the Air India website).