Govt decides, says just one airport in Bangalore

Bangalore: The city will have just one airport two weeks from Monday—the new one at Devanahalli, it has been decided.

The old HAL airport will close down for all commercial flights as soon as the new BIAL airport is opened, the Civil Aviation Ministry has decided.

Civic groups and frequent fliers demand that the HAL airport be retained, saying BIAL is far away from the city and the roads to it are not ready. There are four petitions pending before the Karnataka HC for the old airport to be retained.

The Director General of Civil Aviation decided to issue a licence to the BIAL airport this week after holding a meeting with the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Karnataka government on Monday.

The new airport would start functioning by "this month-end" and BIAL was "not agreeable to keep the existing (HAL) airport open", said Civil Aviation Secretary Ashok Chawla after the meeting.

On May 5, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre to consider a citizen group's demand to keep the existing airport operational, given apprehensions on accessing the new airport located 40 kms away from the city.

As per the government's contract with BIAL the existing airport should be shut down once the new one start operation.

(With inputs from PTI)