Bangalore, Oct 1 (IANS): Leading private carrier Kingfisher Airlines Friday began operating direct flight to Mysore, connecting this tech hub with the cultural capital of Karnataka. 

“The 45-minute flight will be operated on all days except Saturday. We will provide connectivity to passengers flying from Mysore to other destinations such as Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and New Delhi and vice-versa,” an airline official told IANS here.

State Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, Kingfisher chairman Vijay Mallya and other dignitaries flew on the inaugural flight in a 45-seater turboprop ATR aircraft of Kingfisher Red, the low-cost carrier of the airline.

“The launch of this new route is an important milestone for us and a very special moment for me as Mysore has pride of place in our state,” Mallya said on the occasion.

Linking Mysore via air with Bangalore and other key cities will provide an impetus to tourism, trade and commerce.

“The service will also make Mysore an attractive destination for the IT industry, tourists and others,” Mallya noted.

The ATR (IT 2404) will depart from Bangalore at 12 noon and land in Mysore at 12:45 p.m. and take-off from there as IT 2407 at 2:20 p.m. to reach Bangalore at 3:10 p.m.

“The flight will also offer travellers from Mysore a one-stop connection to Goa, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Pune, New Delhi, Kochi and Mumbai via Bangalore,” the airline said in a statement.

Similarly, passengers from other cities will have a convenient one-stop connection to fly to Mysore via Bangalore. Kingfisher flies to 60 cities in India and eight overseas destinations with a fleet of 66 aircraft.