Karnataka HC allows AAI to shift HAL airport equipment

The Karnataka high court on Friday gave a green signal to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to dismantle the infrastructure deployed at the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) airport, currently closed for commercial flights, and install them at other airports.

In the application filed by the AAI last year to the high court, they had sought permission for dismantling the infrastructure deployed at the HAL airport and install them at other airports.

On July 5, 2004, a concession agreement was signed between the ministry of civil aviation and Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) for setting up an airport at Devanahalli.

On January 31, 2008, BIAL had stated that the user-development fee would be levied on passengers of both domestic and international flights departing from Devanahalli. Reports were notified that the Devanahalli airport will be functioning from the midnight of March 29, 2008, and subsequently HAL airport will be shut for civilian flights.

In its application, the AAI said that the equipment were lying idle for the last three years. It had further contended that they want to shift and use the equipment at airports in tier-one and tier-two cities and had sought court permission.

The AAI intends to shift all the commercial operation equipment such as CCTV, X-ray baggage scanners, trolleys, escalators and elevators. The AAI has said the cost of these equipment could be to the tune of crores of rupees. The division bench headed by Justice K Sreedhar Rao allowed the application.