In what could open up air transport opportunities in Udupi district, a private company has proposed an investment to the tune of Rs 500 crore for the construction of an airport in Byndoor taluk. If the state government and Airport Authority of India (AAI) come forward with a positive response and sufficient land, the establishment of an airport can be facilitated in the next few years.
Meanwhile, former minister and Kaup MLA Vinay Kumar Sorake, speaking at the World Tourism Day programme in Udupi on Wednesday said that the state government is planning on setting up an airport that would improve air connectivity in the coastal belt with Udupi district as the next destination in mind.
Construction of an airport is expected to increase the inflow of tourists to Udupi district. Attempts have been on from over a decade for the establishment of a small-scale airport at Ottinene in Byndoor. The attention of the state government was drawn towards this goal through the continued efforts of R N Shetty partnership firm and Shree Mookambika Temple authorities.
Byndoor already has a state-of-the-art railway station. Likewise, development of road transport facilities and four-laning of the national highway are being carried out.
Dozens of people from the nearby towns of Shiroor and Bhatkal arrive and depart for foreign countries on a daily basis via Mangaluru International Airport. A small-scale Airport at Byndoor or any other parts of Udupi will help these passengers to reach home early as the road trip consumes time.
The renowned shrine of Sri Mookambika Temple in Kollur near Byndoor is also frequently visited by hundreds of devotees. If an airport is established in Byndoor, it will facilitate devotees and visitors from other states.
The proposal
With a keen interest on development of tourism and employment opportunities in the state, Supreme Group, a Mumbai based company has reportedly shown interest to invest in the establishment of an airport in Byndoor. Recently, the company had written to Byndoor MLA K Gopal Poojary expressing its willingness to invest a sum of Rs 500 crores, if the state government was ready to provide 250 acres of government land for this purpose. The government is yet to take a formal decision in this regard.
Aside from the establishment of an airport, there are ample opportunities for development of tourism and investment for companies in Byndoor as well as other coastal towns from Udupi to Karwar.
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