Capt Gopinath slams HAL airport closure

Capt Gopinath slams HAL airport closure
Bangalore, DHNS:
According to the clauses of the contract signed by the government, no airport is allowed to come up within 150 kms radius, with the exception of airports at Mysore and Hassan which he dubbed anti-development.


Criticising the government’s decision to close HAL airport, Capt G R Gopinath of Deccan Aviation said it was a mistake to give a monopoly to BIAL. He was talking to the media on the sidelines of the Momentum, a tourism investor’s meet here on Thursday.

According to the clauses of the contract signed by the government, no airport is allowed to come up within 150 kms radius, with the exception of airports at Mysore and Hassan which he dubbed anti-development.

He said the projection in air traffic made during the time the contract was signed did not hold water, as the air traffic had exceeded the projection. Citing examples of London which had five airports and other European countries, he questioned the logic behind not allowing two airports to function in a city. “We should not lose one infrastructure to another, he said. This move may affect some short haul flights.

Capt Gopinath said with an investment of Rs 2 to Rs 3 crores a grass strip can be created where aircrafts can land. With an overall investment of Rs 60 to Rs 70 crores over a period of time from the government, many new destinations can be connected this way.

Talking about the poor connectivity to Bidar, he said Bidar must be connected by air atleast by the next year. He gave examples of projects stagnating due to the constant change in governments and bureaucrats.

HIGH COURT

‘Clarify stand on airport’

The High Court directed the Central government’s standing counsel to clarify the correct
position with regard to the use of HAL airport after opening the international airport at
Devanahalli.

The query came from the division Bench headed by Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph hearing a PIL by City advocate G R Mohan, who sought a direction to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation and Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) to retain HAL airport for short-haul domestic flights.The court adjourned hearing on the petition to February 20.