KSIIDC, Shivamogga district administration hopeful of Shivamogga Airport getting DGCA licence renewed

Shivamogga district administration and KSIIDC are hopeful of Shivamogga Airport at Sogane near here getting the licence from the Director General of Civil Aviation renewed at the earliest.

The licence to operate flights from the airport renewed last month will expire on Monday, September 23. The DGCA renewed the licence only for a month, citing non-compliance with safety and security standards at the airport. It also noticed the absence of sufficient staff for fire safety. If the licence is not renewed by September 23, there are chances of calling off flight operations from the airport.

Shivamogga Airport, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 27, 2023, is the first airport being managed by Karnataka State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSIIDC). In the last month, the officials of the corporation are in touch with DGCA to get the licence renewed.

KSIIDC Managing Director Khushboo Goel Chowdhary and other officials of the corporation visited the airport on September 5. Later, they submitted a report to the DGCA assuring that the corporation would fulfil the conditions. Corporation officers also met the DGCA officials in Delhi on September 18. An official of the corporation said that the corporation had submitted a compliance report, and he was hopeful that the DGCA would renew the licence soon.

Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner Gurudatta Hegade told The Hindu that he was hopeful that the airport would get the licence renewed in a day or two. “The KSIIDC officials are following up on the issue. They met the DGCA officials in Delhi and submitted that they would comply with all the norms,” he said.

Published - September 20, 2024 08:51 pm IST