The new airport at Devanhalli in Bangalore is getting delayed by a few weeks since the government is now looking for ways to keep the old HAL airport open
NEW DELHI: The new airport at Devanhalli in Bangalore is getting delayed by a few weeks since the government is now looking for ways to keep the old HAL airport open simultaneously.
According to the concession agreement between the government and the Siemens-led consortia, which has built the new airport, no other airport can operate in Bangalore for at least 30 years after the new one becomes operational.
This clause has led to many a protest and even the Karnataka High Court has asked all stakeholders of the new airport project to sit together for finding ways of keeping the old airport operational.
In a meeting with all stakeholders of the Bangalore International Airport (BIAL) on Tuesday, Union civil aviation minister Praful Patel urged them to consider allowing operation of small aircraft from the HAL airport so that regional connectivity does not get impeded.
His suggestion? Allow non-scheduled aircraft, which are smaller than 80-seaters, to fly from HAL airport so that people wanting to travel within the region - from say, Bangalore to Chennai - can take their flights from the old airport.
Confirming that the opening of the new airport, which was earlier scheduled for May 11, has been pushed back to the last week of May, Patel said the stakeholders have been asked to come back with their suggestions for another meeting on May 12.
“We have asked BIAL management to consider keeping the old airport open for smaller aircraft but no decision has been reached…..we will meet again on May 12,” the minister said.
According to unconfirmed estimates, if such a plan is agreed upon, BIAL may stand to lose about 20% revenue to HAL and this aspect would be studied before the BIAL management reverts with its decision.
So will this proposal work better if there was a revenue sharing arrangement between the old and new airports for these smaller aircraft, Patel said “the old HAL airport is not an Airports Authority of India property but belongs to HAL. So revenue sharing would become very complicated”.Though Patel’s initiative may or may not resolve the sticky issue, it is sure to once again highlight the similar situation in Hyderabad, where again the Government has been forced to close down the old airport after the new one opened last month under similar contractual obligations.
b_sindhu@dnaindia.net
The meeting, which included a team from BIAL and representatives of the Karnataka government, comes after the Karnataka high court asked all stakeholders to find ways and means of keeping the old airport functional.
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