Overview

• The cabinet approved one-year viability gap funding at Rs 3,240 per seat to underwrite Solapur–Mumbai and Solapur–Pune services.
• Star Air has been designated as the sole beneficiary and will receive the full Rs 17.97 crore budget to subsidize fares.
• Flights are slated to launch soon once Star Air finalizes schedules and Hotagi Road Airport completes runway extensions and night-landing infrastructure.
• State funding will cease upon Solapur’s inclusion in the central UDAN scheme, at which point a 20% VGF model will take effect.
• Officials have signaled plans to expand Solapur’s air links further with proposed routes to Tirupati and Hyderabad.