When all the SpiceJet flights got diverted and we the people in Belagavi started showing a lot of resentment over it, but this criticism raised some strength, in understating to take this battle to next level, the battle to mass and the political class where it needs to be heard rightly and hit strongly.
Blessing in disguise came in when Save IXG campaign on twitter started by Aequs CEO Mr. Arvind Melligeri, now a resident of Belagavi and a native of Hubli. His dream enterprise to build the ecosystem of precision aerospace manufacturing in Belagavi requires airline connectivity as a continues need for frequent foreign delegates visiting SEZ
This campaign was much-needed spark to ignite the fire among we Belagaviites and went on to the next level and it was also headed using a social network platform WhatsApp by Chaitanya Kulkarni, Sachin Sabnis and Yogesh, besides the much-needed media push by AllAboutBelgaum, and Pragatvahini of Mr. MK Hegde “Belgavige Flight beku” all this turned into a revolution.
This group brought in all the trade bodies under one forum, and all the forum heads like CREDAI’s Qais Noorani, KASSIA’s President Basvraj Javli, Mr Rajeev Kaul CFO from Aequs, also the ladies wing Dr Sonali Sarnobat, industrialist Soniya Netalkar and Monika Sawant and many more lawyers industrialist in their various capacities contributed to the cause of much needed push to get the flight operational to the historical Airport of Belagavi in the state.
This forum now had one lacking factor to say and that was political will, with as usual “chalta hai attitude”, but the citizen rage and anguish this time enlighten our political representatives to shun their do-nothing attitude to act upon, there is where the whole journey for the inclusion of Belagavi under UDAN 3 started.
In their personal capacity they all lead a delegation taking our elected representatives to the corridors of power in Delhi and that made a huge impact but though with initial disappointment of non-inclusion was a setback and best backed by rival MP to curtail as new flights to Belagavi means less load for the them and his constituency and keep Belagavi with minimum flights of Bangalore.
The D day and what next. On Jan 25th, 2019 UDAN 3 RCS routes were announced Belagavi got the highest number of bids on the list and destination
The speculation is high again, SpiceJet which has moved out, did their best to be back in skies of Belagavi for routes which were yielding high occupancy during non UDAN services, Ghodwat’s star Air which actually evinced and published its launch form Belagavi was driven to Bangalore as base of operation, has come up with massive route connection from Belagavi staring from 6th of Feb to Bangalore, the hopes are high that Ghodawat relocates home base as Belagavi soon.
Belagavi constitutes a very large cosmopolitan crowd of Defense establishment and the business establishment here have niche identity in hydraulics and engineering products and not the least the educational institutions and medical world-class facilities, in the coming days the skies of Belagavi will more colorful with crisscross of Airlines and new destinations, giving the best to people of Belagavi and nearby places
This article is a tribute to all the contributors for a cause cannot though draft all the names, and much more left still to fight for and to bring the glory back to our lovable liveable city “Belagavi Belgaon Belgaum”, well signing off with words of praise to them
“We Belagaviites can fight any cause naturally because valor is in our Blood”
About the Author: Satish Kumar is Sr. Systems Engineer working in Dubai and hails from Sambra and has done a detailed study about Sambra Airport and its impact on Belagavi.
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