No word yet on HAL airport closure

No word yet on HAL airport closure
DH News Service, Bangalore:
With just 24 left for the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) to go operational, officials from the AAI (Airports Authority of India) are still left in the dark as to whether the HAL Airport will remain open or not from 8 pm on Friday.

Senior AAI officials at the HAL Airport said that no communication or schedule on the exact status of the HAL airport, has been received from the ministry of civil aviation, when commercial flight operations begin at the new aerodrome in Devanahalli.

“The airport will be open till the last flight makes a landing or takes-off. We have only received a communication to close the tarmac gates, if the airport operations end, as it is a defence area. We do not yet know as to what we are supposed to do from the midnight of May 23,” the officials added.

S R Santhanam, President of the Airports Authority Employees Union (AAEU) said union would challenge the May 16 notification declaring closure of the HAL airport from the midnight of May 23.

Airline majors, when contacted by Deccan Herald, said they have received an official communication from BIA on the postponement of its opening by 24 hours, and the same was being conveyed to the passengers through SMS and telephone calls.

‘No review of pact’
BIAL CEO Albert Brunner on Wednesday ruled out any review of concessional agreement to allow functioning of HAL Airport after BIA starts operations. “The chapter is not closed yet as the matter is in High Court. There will be audits in next six to seven months to assess capacity of airport,” he said.

On protests over airport naming issue and job opportunities to Kannadigas, he said there were several proposals, with Kempe Gowda’s name in the forefront. “It is up to the Centre to decide.” Besides, BIA has tied up with Department of Kannada and Culture to train non-Kannada staff in the language.

He said the BIA has allotted land to Deccan Aviation at airport for operating chopper services from two or three points from the City to the airport.