Bangalore International Airport will be ready by April 2008

Bangalore International Airport will be ready by April 2008
Wednesday May 9 2007 00:00 IST

UNI

BANGALORE: The much-awaited Bangalore International Airport will be ready by April 2008 as almost all the civil works of the country’s first green-field airport have been completed well in advance, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Tuesday.

Speaking to newspersons after holding a review meeting of various departments here, he said the trial run of the international airport would be held in January 2008 and would become operational from April 2008.

Stating that civil works have been completed nine weeks ahead, he said the Express Corridor work, connecting the city with the airport, was also expected to be synchronised with the completion of the international airport.

Yediyurappa said the Defence Ministry had accorded permission to utilise the Bidar Defence Airport for civilian purpose. The state government had also decided to provide 100 acres of additional land to the Indian Air force base at Bidar for the purpose, he added.

He said many international operators have evinced interest in building airports at Hassan, Gulbarga, Bijapur and Shimoga for which land had been identified and acquisition completed.

To give a boost to tourism, Rs two crore had been released to build all- season helipads at 20 places, including Hampi, Badami, Belur, Chickmagalur, Madikeri, Kollur, Dharmastala and Jog. Helipads would also be laid in and around Bangalore city, including at electronic city and Peenya Industrial Estate, he added.

He said that for the first time, a special grant of Rs 1,751 crore had been earmarked for the development of most backward areas in the state to remove regional imbalance as recommended by the Nanjundappa Committee on regional imbalance. A cabinet sub-committee would look into implementation of the works.