The first flight from Kalaburagi Airport to Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru took off today after the inauguration of Kalaburagi airport by the Chief Minister of Karnataka. The airport has been built under the UDAN-RCS Scheme of Govt. of India and is spread across 742 acres and developed at an estimated cost of Rs. 176 crores. Kalaburagi Airport is at a distance of 13.8km from Kalaburagi City and it is a DGCA licensed Aerodrome for VFR/Day operations. Three flights per week will be operated on Monday, Friday and Sunday. It will depart Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) at 12:20PM and land at Kalaburagi at 1:25PM. From Kalaburagi it will depart at 1:55PM and will reach at 3PM.The Ministry of Civil Aviation undertook the task to develop the Kalaburagi airport as it will pave way for direct connectivity to North Karnataka with state Headquarters and other commercial centers. Kalaburagi Airport will act as a gateway for tourist destinations including Buddha Vihar, SharanaBasaveshwara Temple, Khwaja Banda Nawaz Dargah and, Gulbarga Fort.With the inauguration of the Kalaburagi airport in Karnataka, the natives can reach Bengaluru and other parts of the country with much ease. The newly built airport is in line with the commitment & perseverance of Airport Authority of India under the supervision of the Ministry of Civil Aviation of India to enable the country with better air connectivity.So far, 230 routes and 42 airports have been operationalized under UDAN. UDAN will connect all States and UTs of the country with around 700 routes, laying the foundation of a new regional segment in India’s aviation market.