Mysuru:  National Carrier Air India will introduce special flights for Dasara from Oct. 10 to Oct. 20, facilitating both national and international tourists to arrive in Mysuru to witness the festivities. And if the occupancy rates increase, the Air India is likely to continue the service even after Dasara, adding to the existing lone TruJet flight from Mysuru to Chennai and Hyderabad.

Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) and the State Tourism Department are collaborating with Air India for this venture. The flights will be available at heavily subsidised and affordable fares.

Sources said that bookings will be made available online soon and a detailed time schedule will be published shortly.  As per Tourism Department sources, the lowest fare is Rs. 999 (plus taxes) and the maximum is Rs. 15,000, depending on the demand. Flight tickets are also available at different slabs like Rs. 1,200, Rs. 1,500, Rs. 1,800 and Rs. 2,100.

KSTDC has already signed an MoU with Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, to operate the special flight to Mysuru, connecting Bengaluru. It will be a 72-seater ATR and as per initial plans, the aircraft will be operated every day (except Tuesdays) from Bengaluru to Mysuru and from Mysuru to Bengaluru. The flight will take off from Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Bengaluru and land at Mysore Airport in Mandakalli. The flight will leave Bengaluru at 2.10 pm and reach Mysore Airport by 3 pm. The return flight will leave Mysore Airport at 3.30 pm and land in Bengaluru at 4.20 pm.

Sources at the Mysuru District Administration and the Mysore Airport told Star of Mysore that so far they have received no communication from the Air India or Airport Authority of India (AAI). “We have had an enquiry from the Air India regarding the available slots. We were asked about our preparedness, security, ground handling, etc. and we submitted a report. But, we have not got anything officially,” Airport sources said.

Once the Air India decides to operate a flight, the authority usually inspects the airport to examine the feasibility. “We are ready to operate the flights and the Air India officials might visit the Mysore Airport in a day or two,” sources added.

TruJet at present is operating Mysuru-Chennai-Hyderabad flights and the fares range from the base fare of Rs. 999 (plus taxes), Rs. 2,190 and up to Rs. 4,000. Here too, the prices fluctuate and may go up during Dasara depending on the demand.

The aircraft carrier operates under the ambitious Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), known as UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik), launched by the Narendra Modi government. Under the scheme, the all-inclusive airfare under RCS is Rs.2,500 and the airfare cap will be indexed to inflation and  revised periodically.

This TruJet flight that began its daily operations on Sept.20, 2017 has a 72-seat capacity. It arrives at the Mysore Airport at 7.20 pm and departs at 7.50 pm to Chennai and from there, it proceeds towards Hyderabad. On an average, each trip has over 65 to 70 passengers and according to airport authorities, the response has been good.

Sources at the Airport said that if one keeps an average of 120 passengers per day for the to and fro trip, the TruJet has so far flown more than 43,200 passengers. “This number is encouraging and if there is a good response for the proposed Air India flight, Mysuru will get two flight operators,”  sources pointed out.