Bengaluru: Three airports in Karnataka — Mysore, Bidar and Vidyanagar (Ballari) — have been selected in the first phase of bidding for the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), known as UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik).

Under RCS, the Central government has identified 19 airports in the State for development and upgradation. While air connectivity to Vidyanagar airport will commence next month, in Mysuru and Bidar it will be from September. The all-inclusive airfare under RCS is Rs. 2,500 and the airfare cap will be indexed to inflation and revised quarterly.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Karnataka government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Apr. 20 to develop these airports with features that include helping the common man fly at affordable rates, promoting tourism and encouraging regional growth.

The MoU was inked by Karnataka Chief Secretary Subhash Chandra Khuntia and Civil Aviation Joint Secretary R.N. Choubey in the presence of Industries Minister R.V. Deshpande. According to the agreement, the Union and State governments bear the cost of viability gap funding in the ratio of 80:20. The State government will provide concessions to airlines operating under the RCS routes.

The locations proposed for the RCS scheme are Chikkamagaluru, Kushalnagar, Karwar, Harihar, Ammasandra (Tumakuru district), Ballari, Koppal, Bengaluru, Vidyanagar (Toranagal), Bidar, Ginigera, Hassan, Jakkur, Kolar, Mysuru, Raichur, Shahabad, Yadgir and Yelahanka.

The State government has also proposed to provide rail or Metro connectivity to RCS airports in coordination with the Centre. Choubey said Bidar and Vidyanagar airports would provide connectivity to Bengaluru (Kempegowda International Airport) while the Mysore Airport would link Chennai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will officially launch the scheme across the country from Shimla Airport on April 27.