Bengaluru, March 11 (NationPress) Karnataka's Infrastructure Development Minister, M.B. Patil, expressed his concerns on Wednesday regarding the Central government's decision to declare Madurai Airport in Tamil Nadu as an international airport while neglecting the status of Hubballi and Belagavi airports in Karnataka. He emphasized that this disparity demonstrates a biased treatment that is simply unacceptable.

“Why is it butter for them and lime for us?” he questioned.

During a discussion in Bengaluru, Minister Patil suggested that the Central government's decision might be influenced by the upcoming elections in Tamil Nadu. He criticized the government's lack of responsiveness to Karnataka’s demands, labeling it as questionable.

On June 24, 2025, a letter was sent to Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, advocating for the upgrade of Hubballi and Belagavi airports to international status, which would significantly benefit the North Karnataka region. He urged Union Minister and Dharwad MP Pralhad Joshi, along with Belagavi MP Jagadish Shettar and Haveri MP Basavaraj Bommai, to actively support the state's interests.

Patil asserted that at least one of the two airports—Hubballi or Belagavi—should attain international status, and having both upgraded would be greatly advantageous. He called upon the Central government to acknowledge the urgent needs of the state.

On March 10, 2026, the Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, officially designated Madurai Airport (IXM) in Tamil Nadu as an international airport. This upgrade seeks to enhance tourism to regional and religious sites, bolster trade, and improve global connectivity, establishing it as a major hub for southern Tamil Nadu.

With the announcement, Madurai Airport has concluded a 16-year-long wait for its international status, following the Union Cabinet’s decision on March 10, 2026.

This milestone enables Madurai Airport to operate flights to a variety of international destinations in addition to its current routes to Colombo, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi.

Belagavi city, located in northern Karnataka, is approximately 499 km from Bengaluru and nearly 550 km from Mumbai.

Belagavi is home to the Suvarna Vikas Soudha and is frequently suggested as the second capital of Karnataka. It is the largest district in the state and the fourth-largest city, nestled at the foothills of the Sahyadri mountain range, also known as the Western Ghats.

As an educational hub, Belagavi boasts several medical and engineering colleges, including the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), which oversees engineering colleges across Karnataka.

According to the Airports Authority of India, the airport was initially established by the Royal Air Force in 1942. Indian Airlines began operations in 1947, and between 1989 and 2011, multiple private airlines serviced Belagavi Airport.

Since May 1, 2019, the airport has been providing direct flights to 13 cities—Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Kadapa, Mysuru, Indore, Ahmedabad, Surat, Tirupati, Jodhpur, and Nashik—through five airlines: Alliance Air, SpiceJet, Star Air, IndiGo, and TruJet.