Shivamogga MP B.Y. Raghavendra has appealed to Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu to strengthen air connectivity to Shivamogga by granting approval for Star Air’s Shivamogga-Bengaluru service.

Mr. Raghavendra met the Union Minister in Delhi on Tuesday and submitted a detailed representation highlighting issues concerning the Shivamogga airport.

Star Air has proposed to commence services between Shivamogga and Bengaluru with effect from October 15 this year, and the MP appealed to the Minister to grant early permission to the operator. IndiGo had earlier operated the Shivamogga-Bengaluru route but stopped services from May 1 this year, since when there have been no flights connecting the State capital with Shivamogga.

He also sought the continuation of existing Star Air services connecting Shivamogga with Hyderabad, Tirupati and Goa beyond November 2026, when the three-year financial support period under the RCS-UDAN scheme ends. Star Air has been operating the routes since November 2023 under the scheme, and the MP urged the Minister to continue the routes under it.

He further urged the Union Minister to expedite the remaining work relating to the Doppler Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (DVOR) navigation system for the airport. Civil works for the DVOR building were nearing completion, with the remaining work to be completed by the Airports Authority of India. The MP, in a communique to the media, said the Union Minister had responded positively to his plea.