The Mysore Mandakalli Airport is said to be functional by March 2009. The airport is almost set for operating ATR charter flights with the first phase of upgradation of the airport is in the final stages. There is major work to be done on the air traffic control tower, terminal building, parking lot and various amenities is under way.
The Directorate- General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) approved the use of the Mysore airport runway for microlights. Chartered flights to bring tourists during the month of Dasara festivities are allowed to use the airport runway. A terminal building is constructed to capacitated 200 passengers. Two runways made measure 1740 metres and 1350metres. Taxi way, peripheral road and a boundary wall are already built.
An amount of 72 Crore rupees has been invested for these. Tenders for works worth Rs. 26 crore have been floated. A sanction of Rs140 crore will be used for the civil and electrical works of the second phase of the project. The upgradation of the airport with apron, air traffic control set up and meteorological department and upgrading of the terminus will be executed in the second phase.
Total 174 acres of land at Mandakalli is allotted for the development of the Mysore airport in the first phase, out of this 154 acres is taken possession by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The 20 acres of land which is under litigation will be released shortly. Mysore airport to accomodate ATR 72 aircraft, with a capacity of 65-70 passengers, heading towards Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai.
The airport will have night landing facility. The airport will be able to operate Airbus 320 and Boeing 737 with a passenger capacity of more than 150. To facilitate the expansion of the second phase, the Mysore-Ooty national highway will be shifted 2.5 kms to the east of the present location. Instead there will be six lane highway to the hill station. According to the sources, Ministry of surface Transport and Highways has approved for the same. This may take nearly 18 months.
The State Government is not only providing the land for the entire airport project and provide free electricity, water and security to the air port for the first 5 years. The AAI will be in charge of the infrastructure and will take over from State Government after five years.