The Karnataka Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for a ₹220-crore airport at Shivamogga.

Shivamogga is the home district of Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. Tthe airport is planned on 622 acres at Sogane on the outskirts of the city and would be completed in two phases in a year’s time.

The airport in Malnad district is expected to give a boost to tourism and industrial development.

In phase one, construction would involve runway, taxiway, apron, approach road, peripheral road and compound wall and in second phase terminal building, ATC tower and other key infrastructure.

Yediyurappa said “The long cherished dream of people of Shivamogga about having an airport is finally becoming a reality. The project that was planned when I was Deputy Chief Minister and Chief Minister in the past was shelved due to contractor issues and lack of interest by the governments that came later.”

The foundation for the airport was originally laid in 2008.