BIAL board clears re-design plan

BIAL board clears re-design plan

The Hindu

Opening date of the Devanahalli international airport to remain unchanged

# The re-design plan and its different elements are estimated to cost Rs. 400 crores
# The re-designing will focus on creating more space to meet higher passenger and aircraft movements
# The board is expected to meet again in the first week of April

Bangalore: The board of the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) on Friday approved plans to re-design the initial phase of the Greenfield international airport coming up at Devanahalli to accommodate higher traffic flows than originally estimated, but affirmed that the airport opening date of April 2008 would remain unchanged.

"The board which met on Friday was of the view that the airport opening date must remain unchanged, whatever be the case. The deadline of April 2008 for opening the airport will not be shifted though a re-designing of the first phase was necessitated in view of revised, higher traffic forecasts. Those re-designing that cannot be fitted into the present schedule will be taken up later," an official associated with the project told The Hindu.

During the meeting, the board discussed the re-design plan and its different elements that are estimated to cost an additional Rs. 400 crores over the original project cost of Rs. 1,411 crores.

"The board deliberated on those elements of re-designing that will get added to the existing engineering, procurement and construction contracts (EPC) which would go on independently and those sections that have to be put to open tender directly," the official said. Following extensive discussions, the board also decided to form a sub-committee which will carry out a scrutiny and come up with suggestions on the elements that can be considered for shifting to the open tendering process. " The attempt is to see what can be taken out of the re-design plan for open tender," the official said.

Suggestions

The board is expected to meet again in the first week of April to consider the suggestions made by the sub-committee on the re-design plan for the first Greenfield private sector owned and operated airport in the country.

The re-designing will primarily focus on creating more space to meet higher passenger and aircraft movements. The re-design plan comprises an increase in the size of the terminal, number of aircraft stands, more taxiway layouts and landside infrastructure.

Stake

Private promoters such as Siemens Projects Ventures, Larsen & Toubro and Unique Zurich Airport hold a majority 74 per cent stake in BIAL, the special purpose vehicle (SPV) that is implementing the project.

The Airports Authority of India and the Karnataka State Investment and Industrial Development Corporation hold the balance 26 per cent equity in the SPV.