The low-floor KSRTC bus service to Mangaluru International Airport (MIA), which began in November last year, has been discontinued, including service from Manipal. As a result, Mangaluru International Airport has once again lost its connection to public transport.

Volvo's service from Mangaluru to MIA was discontinued in February, and Manipal service ceased two months ago, mainly due to low passenger numbers, resulting in financial setbacks for the company. The Mangaluru KSRTC division had begun operating three Volvo air-conditioned low-floor buses to MIA from both Mangaluru and Manipal in November. However, the Mangaluru service was discontinued in mid-February after 3.5 months of use and service to Manipal was terminated in July.

Rajesh Shetty, division controller at KSRTC, Mangaluru, explained that the Mangaluru-MIA bus consistently ran with few passengers from the start. Despite the division's efforts to promote the service, it failed to attract enough riders, leading to the discontinuation of Mangaluru service in February. Although the Manipal route had a higher number of passengers, it did not generate the expected revenue, which eventually led to its discontinuation in July. Currently, these buses only run between Mangaluru and Manipal.

Regarding the financial losses, Shetty revealed that each Volvo bus had a fare of Rs 65 per kilometre travelled. However, the Mangaluru-MIA bus generated revenues of less than Rs 7 to 8 per kilometre, while the Manipal route generated revenues between Rs 14 and 18 per kilometre.