About Belagavi Airport (IXG) Guide: Flights, Timings & Amenities

Belgaum Airport has a very long history. It was built in 1942 by the Royal Air Force during World War Two. At that time, the airport was used as a training place for military aircraft. Soldiers learned how to fly and prepare for missions from this airbase. After India became independent, the airport slowly came under Indian control. In 1956, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation managed it  and later in 1962, the Ministry of Civil Aviation took charge.

During the 1990s, many airlines such as East-West Airlines, Gujarat Airways, Indian Airlines, NEPC Airlines  and Vayudoot started flights here. However, by the end of the decade, all of them stopped flying from Belgaum. 

Even though flights stopped for some time, the airport did not stay empty forever, because new airlines soon began to return.

Commercial flights started again in 2003 when Air Deccan began services from Bengaluru. For some time, flights also connected Belgaum with Mumbai and Kolhapur. Later, Air Deccan merged with Kingfisher Airlines in 2008  and Kingfisher stopped flights in 2009. In 2010, the Airports Authority of India and the Government of Karnataka signed an agreement to expand and improve the airport.

Kingfisher returned again in 2011 but left once more because of financial problems. After that, SpiceJet arrived in 2012 and added more city connections when the airport expanded in 2017. SpiceJet continued flights until 2018. 

Later, Alliance Air  which is part of Air India, began flights to Bengaluru in July 2018 using ATR-72 aircraft. Soon after, Air India started flights with an Airbus A319  and this was the first time this aircraft landed in Belgaum. As more airlines began to come and go, the airport itself also started to grow and improve its buildings and facilities.

In September 2017, a new terminal building was opened for passengers. This terminal covers about 3,600 square metres and can handle more than 300 passengers at one time. Inside the building, there are check-in counters, baggage belts, waiting areas  and basic food stalls. The airport also has parking areas for aircraft  which are called aprons. Three large aircraft such as Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 can stand there at once. Smaller planes like ATR-72 can also park in the older apron area.

The runway of Belgaum Airport is about 2,300 metres long and 45 metres wide  which is enough for medium-sized aircraft to land safely. There are also taxiways that help planes move from the runway to the parking area. 

Because passenger numbers kept increasing every year, the airport authorities realized that even bigger improvements were needed in the future.

Due to rising passenger traffic, the Airports Authority of India decided to build an even larger terminal building. This new building will cover around 20,000 square metres  which is much bigger than the current one. It will have three aerobridges, modern security systems, larger waiting halls, food courts  and better baggage systems. During busy hours, it will be able to handle 1,400 passengers at the same time.

The expansion also includes a longer runway, new taxiways  and extra aircraft parking space so that larger aircraft can operate easily. The cost of this project is around ₹230 crore  and the construction began in January 2024. 

The work is expected to finish in about two to three years. While these new developments prepare the airport for the future, the airport already connects passengers to several cities today.

Belgaum Airport currently offers flights to important Indian cities.

• IndiGo operates flights to Bengaluru, Delhi  and Hyderabad.
• Star Air operates flights to Ahmedabad and Jaipur.

These connections help business travellers, students  and tourists reach their destinations easily. Along with civilian flights, the airport also has another important role that makes it unique.

Belgaum Airport is not only a civilian airport but also an Indian Air Force training base. It was first used by the Royal Air Force  and later different Indian authorities managed it. In 1984, the Special Reserve Police of Karnataka took control of the airbase. The base played an important role during Operation Vijay in 1961  which was a major military operation.

Later, training schools were shifted here and renamed several times. Today, the base is known as the Airmen Training School. Here, new recruits learn discipline, teamwork  and military values through a program called Joint Basic Phase Training.

Because of this combination of civilian travel and military training, Belgaum Airport is not just an airport but also a place with history, learning  and growth. This mix of past importance and future development makes Belgaum Airport special for Karnataka and for India.

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