HAL Airport in expansion mode

Bangalore airport on expansion mode

Vijay Times

Bangalore: The City airport has embarked on a Rs 15-crore expansion plan to accommodate the growing number of airlines and the increasing air traffic.

Senior Airport Authority of India (AAI) officials told Vijay Times three more terminals are being added to the existing domestic and international facilities.

The AAI-funded project is scheduled to begin in August and is expected to be completed by March 2006.
AAI is in the process of screening tenders from companies vying to undertake the project. This is be completed within the week.

At present, the airport handles 42 lakh passengers annually. With the expansion, it will be able to accommodate an additional eight lakh passengers, said the official.

With the entry of two more domestic airlines - Kingfisher and Spicejet - last month and three more set to enter in the next six months, there would be little space in the terminals. Besides, three international airlines - British Airways, Northwest Airlines and Air France - have been accorded permission to fly directly from Bangalore from October.

Along with the expansion of terminals, AAI also plans to add more seats for passengers, more ticket counters and a storage facility for trolleys.

The officials said AAI is trying to chalk out an alternative for car parking facility, which has proved inadequate.
The last such expansion of the terminal was done in 1999 when the international airlines started flying on a regular basis to and from the City.