BIA 100 times better than HAL: Capt Gopinath

BIA 100 times better than HAL: Capt Gopinath
By S Praveen Dhaneshkar, DH News Service, Bangalore:
"BIA is 100 times better than the HAL airport but they seem to have underestimated demand. A larger capacity to handle flights should have been made by the airport promoters. More space for airlines and a second runway is definitely needed. BIA must act fast on the woes spelt out by passengers"- Capt Gopinath.


Having completed a week of commercial operations, the BIA continues to be dogged by ground handling hitches, leading to delay in departure and arrival of flights. While the feedback on the new greenfield airport from the public has largely been negative due to a plethora of teething troubles, what do airline operators have to say on BIA? To elicit their response, Deccan Herald spoke to Capt G R Gopinath, Executive Chairman of ‘Deccan’, India's No. 1 low fare airline, that was among the first to land its ‘Test Flight’ at the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) in Devanahalli on March 7. Excerpts from the interview:

Q. BIA has been in the news, more so for its teething troubles after its opening on May 24. How does `Deccan’ view the developments?

A. It is more of a passenger issue than that of airline operators. BIA is 100 times better than the HAL airport but they seem to have underestimated demand. A larger capacity to handle flights should have been made by the airport promoters. More space for airlines and a second runway is definitely needed. BIA must act fast on the woes spelt out by passengers.

Q. There have been delays in aerobridges being connected to aircrafts. Baggage clearance has been consuming at least an hour. Flight schedules have gone haywire. As a major airline operator, what’s your take on this?

A. Ground handling hitches that may arise during transition from one airport to another should be handled in a more efficient manner. Agencies entrusted by BIA on baggage handling must be pulled up. On the whole, logistical issues like immigration, customs, ATC and counters not functioning should be BIA’s priority.

Q. Does the answer lie in Bangalore having two airports?

A. Deccan has always be in favour of two airports. It is viable for a company such as ours to operate out of two airports. With the aviation sector booming, increased growth will fuel the future.

Q. On a scale of ten, what would you give BIA? Is Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad better?

A. On the face of it, infrastructure looks fabulous. I would give BIA a rating of 7 or 8 out of 10. The building is impressive. The car parking is large enough to accommodate more vehicles seen in an international airport. More aerobridges are needed to make arrival and departures swifter. Both airports are good.