The persons who filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court of Karnataka, have won a victory today. It may not be all what they wanted, but it is a victory. A bench of the High Court headed by the Honourable Chief Justice, today directed the Union of India and the Airports Authority of India to re-negotiate the …

“Akash rescues Indian air defence after delays hit Israeli Spyder missile purchase….”, screams a news headline from December 2007.The Akash surface to air missile was tested at test facilities of the Indian defence forces in Kolar, most likely, the full fledged test facility of the Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE). The Kolar test facility is identified in the airspace …

SHUTTING DOWN HAL AIRPORT BAILing out of BIAL? URL for this article http://citizenmatters.in/articles/view/88-BAILing-out-of-BIAL? Pressure on the government to keep Bangalore’s HAL airport running is beginning to gain ground. While much of the angst is over traffic snarls, the arguments are substantive and deserve attention. Even as the launch date of Bengaluru International Airport is nearing, a storm has risen over …

Are Private Airports in India Ready to Take Off? Published: April 03, 2008 in India Knowledge@Wharton http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm;jsessionid=a830e6c0e14039162818?articleid=4274&CFID=8109838&CFTOKEN=33128394&jsessionid=a830e6c0e14039162818# http://www.mynews.in/fullstory.aspx?storyid=3808# On March 14, Sonia Gandhi, chairman of India’s ruling United Progressive Alliance government at the Center, inaugurated the new private sector airport at Hyderabad in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. It was a false start, though: Several airlines, citing the need …

Hopefully, May 10th will be an event filled for Bangalore. During the day, we will have polls, and I pray that citizens of Karnataka will choose to replace the stagnation of coalitions, with one party, to lead the way forward. The night will bring to fruition a long running plan of having a new international airport. News reports indicate that …

Planning in the air— Sunita Narain http://www.downtoearth.org.in/editor.asp?foldername=20080415&filename=Editor&sec_id=2&sid=1 http://www.business-standard.com/common/news_article.php?leftnm=10&bKeyFlag=BO&autono=317853 India has added two more swanky symbols to bolster its first-world ambitions: the Rajiv Gandhi international airport in Hyderabad and the gleaming Bengaluru international airport in our software capital. But look beneath this glitzy façade and you will find another instance of development on the cheap. We refuse to admit that our …

At the turn of the century, back in 2001, the Managing Committee of the Greater Mysore Chamber of Industry, was host to a highly respected IAS officer. This officer had a background in transportation having served as the Managing Director of K.S.R.T.C. On deputation as a special officer, in the newly formed BIAL consortium, the IAS officer pitched the committee …

Bangalore has the distinction of being the first city in India to conceive and sign-up a private consortium for building an airport. It is another matter that Hyderabad gained from our and the BIAL consortium’s efforts and path breaking experiences, and pipped us to the “airport opening” finish line.However, our inexperience with Public Private Partnerships (PPP) is now coming home …

In The Times of India, Bangalore, on Tuesday, March 25, 2007, page 22 featured an article by Mr. Albert Brunner, CEO of BIAL. The editors of the paper issued a challenge at the end of the article to counter the arguments of Mr. Brunner. Accepting the challenge, I put forth my arguments to debunk certain myths created by BIAL and …

Depending on which stake holder of the the Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) consortium you listen to, the capacity of the new BIA airport is 9 million passengers (as per Airports Authority of India) to 12 million passengers (Mr. Albert Brunner). However, no one has claimed a capacity of over 12 million passengers. At best, we are informed, that the …

Bangalore airport delay: Carriers’ expansion plans hit air pocketAnirban Chowdhury / New Delhi March 31, 2008 http://www.business-standard.com/common/news_article.php?leftnm=3&subLeft=1&chklogin=N&autono=318466&tab=r The one-month delay in the opening of the new greenfield airport in Bangalore may affect the expansion plans of over a dozen-odd international as well as domestic and cargo carriers who were planning to introduce additional flights from the city. While the opening …

Airport opening hits air pocket30 Mar 2008, 0517 hrs IST, Anshul Dhamija, TNN BANGALORE: Polls could be the spoiler this time. As the Bengaluru International Airport at Devanahalli dresses itself up for the revised inauguration date of May 11, uncertainty hangs threateningly low. With assembly elections likely to be held in May, the code of conduct for political parties could …

Govt wants it to charge only international passengers initially, on the lines of the new Hyderabad airport Tarun ShuklaNew Delhi http://www.livemint.com/2008/03/27005013/Ministry-new-Bangalore-airpor.html The operator of the Bengaluru International Airport, Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) has declined a suggestion from the ministry of civil aviation that it waive a controversial fee it plans to levy on passengers when it opens for operations …

“At London Heathrow Terminal 5 we’ve created a natural, logical journey that’s so calm, you’ll flow through. It should only take ten minutes to get from check-in to departures” This is the promise British Airways makes about the new super large, super luxurious, $8.6 billion Terminal 5 or T5, at London Heathrow airport. Capable of handling 30 million passengers, this …

In The Times of India, Bangalore, on Tuesday, March 25, 2007, page 22 featured an article by Mr. Albert Brunner, CEO of BIAL. In response to the challenge issued at the end of the article I put forth my own list to debunk certain myths created by BIAL. I have sent this response to The Times of India. Hopefully the …

A hearty congratulations to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) at Hyderabad for finally getting operational. Similar congratulations are due to BIAL very soon. An even heartier and resounding congratulations to the domestic airlines, for showing to RGIA management, what we individual consumers will be unable to — even a monopolistic airport cannot expect to charge unreasonable fees. The ground handling …

Date:24/03/2008 http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/03/24/stories/2008032450560600.htm Madhumathi D.S. Bangalore operator likely to steal the thunder Neck-and-neck BIAL expects traffic of least 11 million passengers the first year, while Hyderabad expects 7 million Cargo movement at Bangalore is 1.25 lakh tonnes, almost thrice Hyderabad’s 43,000 tonnes. The two new international airports could well be another hare-and-tortoise story. The GMR consortium-built Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) …

17 Mar, 2008, 0600 hrs IST, Nirbhay Kumar, TNNhttp://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Transportation/New_user_fee_for_domestic_fliers_grounded_at_Rs_200/articleshow/2872347.cms NEW DELHI: In a major relief to domestic passengers, the civil aviation ministry has told developers of the new international airports at Hyderabad and Bangalore to restrict user development fee (UDF) to Rs 200 instead of the initially-proposed amounts that were three times higher. However, the ministry is open to the …

18-Mar-2008 http://indiaaviation.aero/news/airline/8181/59/Bangalore-International-Airport-Ltd-(BIAL)-will-not-follow-a-cross-subsidization-tariff-policy According to Banglore HAL International Airport, the new Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) is likely to spare domestic passengers from the user development fee (UDF). In recent days GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd’s (GHIAL) made its decision to charge $25 (about Rs 1,000) as UDF on international passengers from the new airport at Shamshabad, which is scheduled to …

One March 19th, I received this comment on one of my posts. It deserves posting on the blog. Thanks to the commenter. There is more than enough commerce in Bangalore to support another airport. Speeding up travel of people and products only improves an economy. The market place, consumers and producers, determine usage. Government can implement rules of conduct (procedures) …