Mysore: Flight services from Mysuru (Heritage City) to Hyderabad (City of Pearls), Kochi (Gateway to Kerala) and Goa (Pearl of the Orient), started operating yesterday.

Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha launched the daily flights at Mysore Airport last afternoon. Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, operates the flights under Regional Air Connectivity Scheme “Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik” (UDAN) scheme.

Speaking on the occasion, Pratap Simha said that with increased flight services will boost tourism in Mysuru.  He said that TruJet has come forward to operate flights from Mysuru to Belagavi and a morning flight to Chennai from October 27. In addition, Indigo has sought a slot to operate from Hyderabad and Mysuru, the MP said. 

Already, TruJet is operating a flight to Chennai in the evening and one more flight in the morning will boost the travel in this sector. Pratap Simha said there was over 80 percent load factor for all flights originating from Mysuru. He said air connectivity to Mysuru was essential not only for promotion of tourism but to invite investors to invest in Mysuru. Direct flights from the city would expedite industrial development.

Simha that there was scope to increase flight services to other centres as well and there was a demand for flights to Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur. There is a full-fledged International Airport in Kannur and flights from Mysuru to Kannur will be a boon to International travellers. 

“The tourism sector has suffered all these years due to lack of connectivity and this issue is being addressed now,” he added.