BIALs basic trials from today

BIALs basic trials from today
Bangalore, dhns:
The countdown for the launch of Indias first greenfield airport, the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) at Devanahalli, has just begun.

Basic trials of the facilities, procedures, systems and trained staff will commence on Tuesday.

This stage is an indication that the airport project is well on track for its scheduled opening on March 30.

Critical development

Although flight trials are expected only in February, the basic trials are considered an equally critical development in the run-up to the airport’s formal launch in March.

BIAL, which commenced the airport construction in July 2005, had announced that the Rs 2,400-crore project would be ready for commercial operations on March 30.

Prior to the basic trials, the Designated Airport Readiness Experts (AREXs) conducted testing of basic processes at the greenfield airport last December.

A number of “Train the trainer programmes” have been completed successfully and trainers have prepared their sessions for airport- owned equipment and systems for the various trial phases, said BIAL officials.
Trial runs will be conducted in three phases. The basic trials will be followed by advanced and integrated trials.

The Devanahalli airport project which is promoted by the Karnataka State Investment and Industrial Development Corporation, the Airports Authority of India, Siemens-Zurich Airport and an L&T consortium, was conceived in 1991; since then, it has seen several ups and downs.

The airport site was shifted and consortia and high-profile stake-holders had pulled out before all issues were sorted out in 2005.