BIA expansion still on planning board

BIA expansion still on planning board
Sunday August 3 2008 11:22 IST

Express News Service

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BANGALORE: The Bangalore International Airport Limited, which started commercial operations on May 24 this year, has been under the scanner due to the congestion and space constraints at the airport.

The Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), the promoters of the green field airport had promised to meet the requirements of the airline operators by constructing a low cost terminal adjacent to existing terminal.

A month earlier BIAL stated that it would take up the expansion work of the airport soon and that the construction of a low cost terminal for low cost carriers by the end of 2009. Similarly, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel also directed BIAL to double its terminal capacity in the next three years by constructing a mirror terminal and also increase the capacity in eight months by extending the existing terminal. However, BIAL has said that they are still in the planning stage and do not have anything concrete to announce with regard to the expansion.

"BIAL has to explore ways to increase the capacity of the existing terminal before it reaches a saturation point which is quite certain given the manner in which civil aviation is growing in the country," Ministry sources told The Express. The BIA by 2011 is expected to handle 18 million passengers and in all probability will add another million passengers to the existing 11 million passengers.

According to BIA, four new airlines - Tiger Airways, Air Mauritius, Dragon Airways and Oman Air have begun operations from the new airport since May 24.