Devanahalli airport to take wing by May-end

Devanahalli airport to take wing by May-end
DH News Service, New Delhi:
The civil aviation ministry has decided that the new Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) will be opened in the last week of May and has asked the BIA partners to consider the option of allowing operation of smaller aircraft from the existing HAL aerodrome.

Speaking to reporters after a two-hour meeting held here on Tuesday, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said the BIA Limited (BIAL) has stated that it would study the proposal and give its opinion at the next meeting scheduled for May 12.

“The meeting was held in accordance with the advice of the Karnataka High Court on keeping open the existing HAL airport. We have had an extensive discussion with the partners of the BIAL. We discussed various aspects: legal, contractual obligations etc. BIA said it would like to examine our proposal in the light of the contractual obligations and impact. As of now we don’t have any final result,” Patel said.

On the opening of the new airport, he said: “One thing is certain. The new airport will operate from the last week of May. For, the existing airport cannot handle the kind of traffic Bangalore is seeing.”

Asked why there was further postponement since it was earlier decided to open it on May 11, he said it was because the government had to honour the advice given by the High Court and wanted to make the maximum effort in that regard.

The Centre’s proposal on running short-haul aircraft from the HAL airport means operating planes having capacity of 80 seats or below. The government is of the opinion that the BIAL will not stand to lose much because the smaller planes don’t pay landing and parking charges.

BIAL CEO Albert Brunner, who was apparently taken by surprise over the proposal, told the meeting that his company would have to examine the proposal from various angles and implications.

The meeting discussed the controversial issue of user fee to be levied on departing passengers. The ministry informed the meeting that it was preparing guidelines governing the user development fee which may take up to three months to finalise. The ministry asked the BIAL not to charge UDF until then on domestic passengers. It can, however, levy the fee on departing international travellers.

At the meeting, it was explained to the BIAL that it was in the interest of everybody to keep the HAL airport open as otherwise short haul passengers would face problems, both from the point of view of connectivity as well as user fee. If not, it may even lead to passengers stopping patronising the aviation sector altogether. It is expected that the Board of the BIAL may discuss the issue before the May 12 meeting.

Karnataka Chief Secretary Sudhakar Rao, who attended the meeting, told Deccan Herald that the BIAL did not say no to the proposal. “They wanted time. Both sides are willing to negotiate. BIAL was accommodative.”

Asked whether the ministry would hold talks with the new Hyderabad airport on the opening of the Begumpet airport which has been closed now, the minister replied in the negative stating that Tuesday’s meeting was Bangalore-specific as it was directed by the court.Devanahalli airport to take wing by May-end
DH News Service, New Delhi:
The civil aviation ministry has decided that the new Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) will be opened in the last week of May and has asked the BIA partners to consider the option of allowing operation of smaller aircraft from the existing HAL aerodrome.

Speaking to reporters after a two-hour meeting held here on Tuesday, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said the BIA Limited (BIAL) has stated that it would study the proposal and give its opinion at the next meeting scheduled for May 12.

“The meeting was held in accordance with the advice of the Karnataka High Court on keeping open the existing HAL airport. We have had an extensive discussion with the partners of the BIAL. We discussed various aspects: legal, contractual obligations etc. BIA said it would like to examine our proposal in the light of the contractual obligations and impact. As of now we don’t have any final result,” Patel said.

On the opening of the new airport, he said: “One thing is certain. The new airport will operate from the last week of May. For, the existing airport cannot handle the kind of traffic Bangalore is seeing.”

Asked why there was further postponement since it was earlier decided to open it on May 11, he said it was because the government had to honour the advice given by the High Court and wanted to make the maximum effort in that regard.

The Centre’s proposal on running short-haul aircraft from the HAL airport means operating planes having capacity of 80 seats or below. The government is of the opinion that the BIAL will not stand to lose much because the smaller planes don’t pay landing and parking charges.

BIAL CEO Albert Brunner, who was apparently taken by surprise over the proposal, told the meeting that his company would have to examine the proposal from various angles and implications.

The meeting discussed the controversial issue of user fee to be levied on departing passengers. The ministry informed the meeting that it was preparing guidelines governing the user development fee which may take up to three months to finalise. The ministry asked the BIAL not to charge UDF until then on domestic passengers. It can, however, levy the fee on departing international travellers.

At the meeting, it was explained to the BIAL that it was in the interest of everybody to keep the HAL airport open as otherwise short haul passengers would face problems, both from the point of view of connectivity as well as user fee. If not, it may even lead to passengers stopping patronising the aviation sector altogether. It is expected that the Board of the BIAL may discuss the issue before the May 12 meeting.

Karnataka Chief Secretary Sudhakar Rao, who attended the meeting, told Deccan Herald that the BIAL did not say no to the proposal. “They wanted time. Both sides are willing to negotiate. BIAL was accommodative.”

Asked whether the ministry would hold talks with the new Hyderabad airport on the opening of the Begumpet airport which has been closed now, the minister replied in the negative stating that Tuesday’s meeting was Bangalore-specific as it was directed by the court.