Barely ten days after resuming services to Mysore, SpiceJet, the lone commercial flight operator to the city, has once again announced discontinuation of its operations between September 5 and October 31.
Mysore Airport Director C. Manjunath said he received a message from SpiceJet on August 31 informing about the cancellation. “This is due to operational reasons. A mail will be sent regarding the cancellations to all concerned,” said the message from the operator to the airport director.
SpiceJet had resumed operations on August 21 after suspending it for almost three weeks.
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The sudden announcement ahead of Dasara, scheduled to begin later this month, has caught even the airport authorities unawares. “They have cited operational difficulties as the reason,” said Mr. Manjunath.
Almost 70 seats were filled, against a capacity of 78, when the flight took off on Sunday. Even the previous day about 50 seats were occupied in the outbound flight, he said.
Mr. Manjunath said he would meet Pratap Simha, Mysore MP, on Tuesday so that the matter could be taken up with the Union Civil Aviation Ministry. The issue would be taken up with the State government as well. “I will meet Tourism Minister R.V. Deshpande when arrives in the city on Wednesday. We will do all we can to ensure flight services to Mysore,” he said.
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Earlier, SpiceJet had discontinued services from July 28 and had planned to permanently call off services from September 1. But, it was restored from August 21 following the intervention of Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation G.M. Siddeshwar, who inspected the airport.
The uncertainty about air connectivity is expected to affect the customer base, according to sources in the industry.
Chairman of CII, Mysore, R.C. Jagadeesh said it was very disturbing to learn that SpiceJet, which currently operates flights between Bangalore and Mysore four days a week, was likely to suspend operations.
“This does not augur well for the city’s economic growth and needs to be addressed immediately,” he said. Pointing out that regular and convenient flights between metros and Mysore reduce the travel time considerably, making the city an attractive destination for tourists and investors alike, Mr. Jagadeesh said air connectivity plays a vital role in ferrying international and national passengers during Dasara between Mysore and other cities.
He also made out a case for all stakeholders, including the city administration, to immediately approach the airline and persuade them to continue services.