Flying High

Flying High
Industry to chart airport route
Anshul Dhamija & Swati Anand | TNN

Bangalore: With the completion deadline of the Bangalore International Airport (BIAL) looming large and the infrastructure connecting the city to its new airport being woefully underdone, industry heads are using their muscle power to work out an immediate solution.
Sources have told The Times of India that a task force is being formed by the captains of industry, Airports Authority of India (AAI), BIAL, HAL, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FKCCI), Bangalore Chambers of Commerce (BCIC), the travel and trade community and citizens’ forums to look into the connectivity to the new international airport. T Ramappa, secretary general of BCIC, said: “A strong proposal to set up a task force for connectivity came up at the trade body meeting held recently which was also attended by state government officials including infrastructure secretary V P Baligar.
The consensus was to go ahead with the plan provided the government gives it a formal clearance. The first meeting of this task force is likely to be held next week.
BIAL sources said there has been an in-principle approval from secretaries of all infrastructure bodies for the formation of the task force, which is likely to be headed by BIAL CEO Albert Brunner. Industry heads are also pressing the BIAL and HAL to keep the HAL airport open.
(With inputs from Mini Joseph Tejaswi) ‘HAL airport must be kept open’
Bangalore: The HAL airport will be closed once the new international airport comes up. But industry heads are pressing the BIAL and HAL to keep it open.
This proposal was debated at a recent trade body meeting with the government officials. “Bangalore-based industry chiefs like Biocon CMD Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and I will meet BIAL and HAL on November 17 to examine the possibility of keeping the HAL airport open even after BIAL starts operations,” Deccan Aviation executive chairman Capt G R Gopinath said. Sources hinted that this might well be the first meeting of the task force to be formed on the new airport connectivity.
“We know it may not be feasible to keep two airports functional, but there are no proper roads connecting us to BIAL. This matter should be treated with a sense of immediacy,” Kiran Mazumdar Shaw said.
Bangalore reported an overall growth of 38% air traffic this year — the highest rate of all airports in India. It’s probably what prompted civil aviation minister Praful Patel to tell TOI at the sidelines of an Economic Times CEO Round Table held last month: “There is no doubt about the fact that Bangalore needs two airports.”
But infrastructure secretary V P Baligar has stated that the move to keep both airports open is not feasible. “We have to respect the commitment we made to BIAL or else it could affect future investment in this arena in the state. Besides, roads around Devanahalli like SH 104 and NH 208 are developed and the trumpet flyover should be ready soon,” he said, stating that they’re open to other suggestions.
Gopinath has proposed that HAL hive off the civilian operations from its defence needs and allow BIAL to pick up stake in the civilian operations. Another proposal is to let HAL be open for short haul flights.
toiblr.reporter@timesgroup.com