Belgaum Airport

Belgaum Airport (IATA: IXG, ICAO: VOBM) is an airport serving Belgaum, a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. Because of its location in the suburbs of Sambra, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) east of Belgaum, the airport is also known as the Sambra airport. The new terminal building was inaugurated by Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju on 14 September 2017.[1] Near the airport, there is an Indian Air Force station at which new recruits receive basic training.

Belgaum Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesBelgaum, Karnataka
LocationSambra
Elevation AMSL2,287 ft / 758 m
Coordinates15°51′33″N 74°37′03″E
Websitewww.aai.aero/allAirports/belgaum_generalinfo.jsp
Map
IXG
IXG
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
08/26 7,546 2,300 Asphalt/Concrete
Statistics (April2019-March2020)
Passengers movement2,76,308(273.2%)
Aircraft movement5,738(387.9%)

History

Built in 1942 by the Royal Air Force (RAF),[2] Belgaum Airport is the oldest airport in North Karnataka.[3] The RAF used the airport as a training site during World War II, providing support to the South East Asia Command. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) took control of the airport in 1956, followed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in 1962. During the 1990s, Belgaum Airport was served by East-West Airlines, Gujarat Airways, Indian Airlines, NEPC Airlines and Vayudoot. All airlines ended flights to the airport by the end of the decade.[2]

Belgaum Airport saw the return of commercial flights in 2003, with Air Deccan providing service from Bangalore.[4] Air Deccan also flew to Kolhapur and Mumbai for some time.[5] After Air Deccan completed its merger with Kingfisher Airlines in 2008, Kingfisher decided to end flights to Belgaum in June 2009.[6] Nevertheless, expansion plans for Belgaum Airport were launched in 2010, when the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Government of Karnataka signed a memorandum of understanding. Kingfisher returned in January 2011 with daily flights from Mumbai,[7] but it exited the market in November 2011 amid its own financial difficulties.[8] SpiceJet arrived at Belgaum in November 2012[9] with flights from Bangalore and later added direct flights to Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad after Belgaum airport was expanded in September 2017. Spicejet served the airport till May 2018.After Hubballi airport was nominated under UDAN scheme. Spicejet shifted all its operations to Hubballi which it operated from Belgaum Airport, Airport came into operation again after Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India began flight services to Bangalore from 11 July 2018. This was a thrice a week flight operated by ATR 72 type aircraft. Air India began service to Bangalore with its Airbus A319 aircraft from 10 August 2018 on remaining 4 days of the week thus connecting Belgaum with Bangalore all 7 days in the week. Also this was the first arrival of Airbus A319 in Belgaum.

In 2013, the Central Government cleared the expansion project.[10] Work began in February 2015 at a cost of Rs 1.20 billion and took over two and a half years. It involved extension of the runway, construction of a new isolation bay, taxiway, apron for three A-320 aircraft and a new 22.5-metre tall ATC tower.[1] The expanded facilities were formally inaugurated on 14 September 2017 and AAI commissioned the new terminal and apron on 16 October 2017.[11]

In 2020, Union Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi requested that the airport be named after Kittur Rani Chennamma.[12]

Terminal and airfield

A new terminal building was inaugurated on 14 September 2017 as part of the airport expansion project. The terminal building is spread over 3,600 square metres and has a capacity to accommodate over 300 passengers. It has two baggage conveyor belts and six check-in counters. It has an apron for parking of three Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft.[1] The old apron has two parking stands designed for the ATR 72 and similar aircraft.[13][14] There are also two additional aprons, one on the north side of the runway that serves as an isolation bay and one on the south side. These aprons are each connected by single taxiways to runway 08/26, which measures 1,830 by 45 metres (6,004 ft × 148 ft).[14] A 470-metre (1,540 ft) extension of the runway has been completed & presently runway size is 2300×45 metres.

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
Alliance Air Bangalore, Pune
IndiGo Bangalore, Hyderabad[15]
SpiceJet Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai
Star Air Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Indore, Mumbai[16]
TruJet Hyderabad, Kadapa,[17] Mysore, Tirupati, Vijayawada[18]

Air Force Station

Built by and originally under the control of the Royal Air Force, the Special Reserve Police of Karnataka took over the air base in 1948. The air force station was a major base of air operations during Operation Vijay in 1961. Two years later, No. 1 Ground Training School at Jalahalli was moved to the base and renamed Administrative Training Institute (ATI) in 1980. In 2001, the ATI was renamed Airmen Training School (ATS). The focus of the base turned to providing Joint Basic Phase Training (JBPT) through the Basic Training Institute.[19] JBPT is designed to teach recruits military values and orient them towards a life in the military.[19][20]

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See also

References
  1. "Upgraded Belgaum airport inaugurated". Business Standard. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  2. Patil, Vijaykumar (18 October 2002). "Passenger services from Belgaum Airport soon". The Hindu. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  3. "Five towns that are being added to India's airport map". Livemint. 16 July 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  4. "Air Deccan services to be launched today". The Hindu. 24 August 2003. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  5. "Air Deccan to increase flights". Rediff.com. 16 April 2004. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  6. "Flights from Belgaum airport will resume soon" (Press release). India PRwire. 14 November 2009. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  7. "Kingfisher Airlines starts daily Belgaum-Mumbai flights". The Hindu. 11 January 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  8. "Belgaum airport to resume flights soon". The New Indian Express. 15 October 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  9. Urs, Anil (9 November 2012). "SpiceJet to begin Bangalore-Belgaum service". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  10. "Centre gives nod to upgrade Belgaum Airport". Deccan Chronicle. 16 November 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  11. "New terminal commissioned at Belgaum airport". The Times of India. 17 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  12. HS, Shreyas (16 January 2020). "Angadi bats for naming Belagavi airport after Rani Channamma". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  13. "Belgaum: Technical Information". Airports Authority of India. 16 October 2012. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  14. "Aerodrome Data: Belgaum Airport (VOBM), effective 23 July 2015" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. 27 May 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  15. "IndiGo to start Bengaluru-Belgaum flights from September 8". "Economic Times". Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  16. "Star Air Flight Schedules". Star Air. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  17. https://www.trujet.com/#/home
  18. "TruJet to commence four UDAN services at Belgaum Airport in Jan-2020". CAPA. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  19. Mohan, R. D. (1 October 2012). "ATS Belgaum, Historic Alma Mater". Sainik Samachar. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  20. M., Anantha (6 October 2013). "IAF to put airmen through new training pattern in January". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
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