The Hindu : Decks cleared for international airport

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 04, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Decks cleared for international airport
By K. Satyamurty

BANGALORE, MARCH 3. The long-awaited Bangalore International Airport project has crossed another milestone with all clearances now obtained and a new corporation to be formed for the work and its future management.

The Bangalore International Airport Ltd. (BIAL) will now be dissolved and a new company formed to complete the work. It is likely to have a Board of Directors of 12 members, with eight from the Siemens-led consortium and four from the Union and State governments and their agencies as minority stakeholders.

The rules of the new company are being framed to ensure that no major decision regarding major purchases, installation of equipment or operations of the airport can be made without the concurrence of all directors. This safety clause has been incorporated to avoid any controversy in future as in the case of the Enron and Cogentrix power projects where overseas partners were involved, sources said.

Once the new airport company is formed, the Siemens consortium will enter into agreements with the Union Government with regard to customs and immigration regulations, landing and take-off rights and airport taxes. The Karnataka State Industrial Investment and Development Corporation (KSIIDC) and the Airports of Authority of India (AAI) are the other partners involved.

With the Zurich Airport, Switzerland, as part of the international consortium, the new airport is expected to serve as a world-class travel and commercial hub for the region with an annual capacity of four million passengers and 1,40,000 tonnes of cargo in the first phase. The promoters are confident that the new airport will have enough business potential to compete with others in the region.

Of the total site area of 4,300 acres, around 2,000 acres will be occupied by the runways, terminal buildings, and air traffic control towers. The remaining land will be used for other related infrastructure including the State Government's hardware technology park, extended air cargo terminals and cold storage facilities for horticulture products. The idea of leasing land for a hotel with recreational facilities for travellers is being considered. Larsen and Toubro will undertake the construction.

The airport terminal buildings will occupy 46,000 sq. metres and the runways, 4,000 X 45 metres. The apron area will cover 182,000 sq. metres, there will be 18 aircraft stands, 35 check-in counters and seven passenger gates to facilitate multiple flights around the same time. There will be five aero- bridges in the first phase to enable direct access from the terminal into aircraft. The airport site is located 30 km. from Vidhana Soudha and a six-lane approach road from NH-7 (Bellary Road) is being built by the National Highway Authority of India. It will be completed by 2003-04.

To cope with the traffic to and from the international airport, road overbridges will be built jointly by the BMP and the BDA along the Hebbal Ring Road. The railways have agreed in principle to have a rail terminal at the airport.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Decks cleared for international airport

Vijayabhaskar dead

Governor blames vested interests for violence

Paramashivaiah Committee recommendations in Budget?

Video grab gives the lie to officials' rosy picture

`Many projects ignored in Rly. Budget'

Gowda seeks aid for riot victims

Cong. candidates for Bidar ZP posts to be named today