Bidar : Bidar airport is all set to begin operations on February 7, taking the number of airports in Karnataka to eight.

Located in the north-eastern part of the state, Bidar houses several religious shrines and monuments, including Guru Nanak Jhira Sahib, one of the holiest sites for the Sikhs.

The city is also renowned for Bidriware metal handicraft products that have been recognised with the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

Developed under the Centre’s regional connectivity scheme UDAN, the airport will be commissioned, operated and maintained by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL).

According to GHIAL officials, operations will begin with a daily flight connecting Bidar with Bengaluru that will be completed within an hour and 40 minutes.

On its onward journey from Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Bengaluru, the TruJet flight will leave at 11.25 am to reach Bidar at 1.05 pm. For the return journey, the flight will take off from Bidar at 1.35 pm and will land in Bengaluru at 3.15 pm.

“We are confident that the start of commercial operations at Bidar will provide a boost to the local economy through better connectivity for the people of Bidar and a large number of tourists who visit the area,” SGK Kishore, Executive Director – South, GMR Airports and CEO – GHIAL said.

Karnataka Tourism Minister CT Ravi said the new airport would bring employment and better connectivity. “This will also play an important role in promoting tourism in the region,” he said.

Last year in November, a new airport had begun operations in Kalaburagi, connecting Bengaluru with the Hyderabad-Karnataka region. The other civilian airports now operational in the state are in Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi, Belagavi, and Bellary.