HAL Airport may be reopened for UDAN

There seems to be some hope for reopening of the city’s HAL Airport that was closed for civilian operations after the new airport at Devanahalli came up in 2008.

BENGALURU: There seems to be some hope for reopening of the city’s HAL Airport that was closed for civilian operations after the new airport at Devanahalli came up in 2008.

On Wednesday, Industries Minister RV Deshpande told the Legislative Assembly that they have proposed to develop 19 airports in the state, including HAL Airport, under the Civil Aviation Ministry’s UDAN scheme to provide air connectivity to smaller towns.

HAL Airport is included in the “tentative list” of airports in Karnataka that would be developed under the project.

Currently, HAL airport is used by the defence PSU, Indian Air Force’s Aircraft Systems and Testing Establishment (ASTE) and DRDO agencies for conducting flight trials and testing equipment.

Chartered flights and VVIP aircraft too operate from the HAL airport. All commercial operations were shifted to Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) as per the agreement with the government and the BIA promoters. As per the agreement, a second airport cannot operate within the 150-km radius of BIA.

Deshpande said in the first phase of UDAN, airlines have started their operations from Mysuru airport and a private airport in Ballari. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has completed the modernisation of Hubballi airport that is also being developed under UDAN, he said.

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