Mysore/Mysuru: The runway of Mysore Airport must be expanded if they wanted to provide air connectivity to other cities within the State and important places in other States, said Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha.

Speaking at the Airport Advisory Committee (AAC) meeting here yesterday, he said the current length of the runway was 17 km and its length had to be increased for landing and taking off of big planes. On one side there is a Railway line passing and on the other side there is National Highway 212. This was posing problem for the runway expansion. Though it was challenging, still the runway expansion project is being taken up. The project had been shared with Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and requested his assistance for it. The State Government is likely to release Rs. 50 crore soon with which the land acquisition process will begin soon, he added.

Simha opined that it was not possible for city’s development without the Airport runway expansion. The district has industrial area on nearly 50,000 acres of land and in spite of this the airport had not been developed. When he came to Mysore Airport after being elected as Lok Sabha member in 2014, the Airport was idle and operated only for politicians coming here in private planes. The Police did not have job and pigeons had built nests inside the building. At that time, he vowed to develop this airport. “I am happy that my dream has become a reality now”, he noted.

The MP said National Highway 212 will be made to pass through an underpass near the Airport to facilitate the runway expansion. While the road will be below, the runway will be on top of it. Co-operation of one and all was necessary to upgrade Mysore Airport on international lines. The airfare was less than Railway ticket and people must come forward to use the Airport. Heads of various educational institutions, captains of industries and others must use flights to travel to other cities within and outside the State, the MP said.