• No word yet on shifting flying school to Mysuru, says Airport Director
• Relocation to hamper Mysore Airport growth & tourism, says former MP

Mysore/Mysuru: In a move that could impact the civil aviation sector in Mysuru, the State Government is reportedly considering relocating the Government Flying Training School (GFTS) from Jakkur in Bengaluru — a heritage aviation institution — to Mysore Airport at Mandakalli.

An Expert Committee has been formed to examine the relocation proposal. The panel met last week to discuss the modalities of the shift and has been tasked with submitting a detailed report to the Government.

According to reports from Bengaluru, the State Government, in a November 2025 letter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), expressed interest in moving GFTS to Mysuru. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is said to be keen on implementing the proposal in his hometown.

The GFTS at Jakkur, established in 1950, is one of India’s oldest flying schools. The land on which it stands was gifted by the Maharaja of Mysore, Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, specifically for aviation training.

Director of Mysore Airport, P.V. Ushakumari, confirmed receiving a notice to attend the committee meeting last week but was unable to participate. “I could not attend, and a representative from our head office may have been present. Currently, I have no information regarding any decision to shift GFTS from Bengaluru to Mysuru,” she said.

‘Detrimental to Mysuru region’

While Mysuru-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar was not available for comments as he is in the Parliament Winter Session in New Delhi, former MP Prathap Simha has reacted strongly to the shifting of GFTS to Mysuru.

The Mysore Airport must remain a civilian airport and should not be handed over to GFTS, as it will hinder the development in the region, he said.

“There had been a proposal during the H.D. Kumaraswamy coalition Government to hand over the Mysore Airport to the Indian Air Force (IAF) to set up its Helicopter Training Centre. I personally intervened and cancelled the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Ministry of Defence and the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Now again the proposal has come back to life,” he said

“Using Mysore Airport as GFTS would cripple the region’s future growth. It will bring restrictions in several forms, and flight operations will be hit. This will result in all sorts of permissions being required to operate civilian flights from the Airport.

“Mysuru is a key tourist hub, a traffic junction for Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and an entry point to Kodagu. Any conversion for flight training will negatively impact tourism and regional connectivity,” he noted.

Mysore Airport currently spans 507 acres, with the State Government acquiring additional land of over 150 acres for runway expansion to handle larger aircraft.

“During my tenure, Rs. 319 crore was released for Airport expansion, which is now underway. Shifting GFTS here makes no sense. It could be relocated to Shivamogga or Hassan Airports, where such conflicts won’t arise,” Simha added.