New international airport at Bangalore to start operations by end of May
29 Apr 2008
New Delhi: The meeting called to settle contentious issues that have enveloped the operationalisation of the new international airport at Bangalore remained unresolved with the Government providing the operator, the Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), with various options for their consideration. All parties involved in the matter will now reconvene on 12 May to arrive at firm decisions.
The Government, however, said that the new Bangalore airport would be made operational by the last week of May. "We have given them (BIAL) various options including allowing aircraft less than 80-seaters to operate out of the existing airport," civil aviation minister, Praful Patel, told reporters here.
He said extensive discussions were held with BIAL, the operators of the new airport, "in accordance with advice of the Karnataka High Court regarding the opening of the new Bangalore airport." The High Court had earlier advised the government to explore all possibilities, including allowing the existing airport run by HAL to function.
"There are legal issues, contractual obligations and complexities. We discussed all that. No decision has been taken but the new Bangalore airport at Devanahalli will be made operational in the last week of May. We will meet again on May 12 to examine various aspects," Patel said.
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