Vidyanagar Airport
History
Jindal Vijayanagar Steel built the airport next to its plant in Toranagallu for use by senior employees. It began operations in 1997. In 2004, the government of Karnataka announced that the airstrip would be upgraded to serve as the new commercial airport for Bellary, which was 30 kilometres (19 mi) away. Air Deccan planned to fly 48-seater planes to the airfield. Bellary already had an airport, which had lacked scheduled service for over a decade. However, officials said its runway was not long enough for Air Deccan's aircraft and that there was no room to extend it. The government also hoped that Jindal Vijayanagar Airport would attract tourists bound for Hampi. In 2006, the company, now known as JSW Steel, constructed a terminal building at a cost of ₹25 crore (US$3.0 million). Karnataka governor T. N. Chaturvedi inaugurated the airport in November 2006, and Air Deccan launched flights to Bangalore and Goa the following month.
As part of the government's UDAN Scheme, TruJet began service to Hyderabad in September 2017. In October 2022, Alliance Air started flying to Hyderabad and Bangalore.
Facilities
Jindal Vijayanagar Airport has one asphalt runway designated 13/31. It measures 1,589 by 30 metres (5,213 ft × 98 ft). The waiting area in the terminal seats 50 people.
Airlines and destinations
Between April 2023 and March 2024, the airport handled 43,140 passengers and had 1,228 aircraft movements.
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Alliance Air | Bangalore, Hyderabad |