CHENNAI: The Hosur airport, one of the four in Tamil Nadu to be taken up in the first phase of the regional connectivity scheme, which is likely to cater to one or two aircraft a day only, in a bid to restrict competition to the Bengaluru International Airport Limited, according to S Sreekumar, regional executive director, Airport Authority of India (Southern Region).
Sreekumar said that a team from the Airport Authority of India along with officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security of India had inspected the airport and submitted the report to the Civil Aviation Ministry.
“The Airport Authority of India does not have much of a role in the airport as it is owned by Pune-based operator Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Limited (TAAL),” he said.
The Hosur airport or Taneja Aerodrome lies 60 km from Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru and is located close to Bengaluru’s information technology (IT) hub Electronics City. However, with a limited number of aircraft, it would not benefit most of people who would prefer to get away from the hustle and bustle of Bengaluru.
“The operation of airport now depends on decision taken by TAAL and Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL),” says Sreekumar. It is learnt that BIAL and TAAL have been in discussions over the quantum of flights to be operated from the Hosur airport.
This development also comes in the wake of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edapadi Palaniswamy writing a letter to the Union Minister for Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu demanding immediate commencement of flight operations from the Hosur aerodrome.
Sreekumar said that the airport has a space for parking small aircraft and a small terminal building.
To a query on the status of the Thanjavur airport selected under the second phase of Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) Scheme, Sreekumar said that land acquisition has been an issue. “Indian Air Force wanted 25 acres of land which we possess and in turn promised to give us 50 acres of their land. Once the land is acquired, the work will be started,” he said.
Deadline for views on IAC scheme over
The deadline for stakeholder comments on the draft International Air Connectivity (IAC) Scheme ended Tuesday
Under the scheme state governments will identify routes and offer financial support to select airlines in the form of subsidy for operation to international routes
International Air Connectivity Fund corpus will be created through state-contributions The scheme envisages state government-led mechanism for selection of airlines to operate on an IAC route
Pursuant to evaluation of proposals, airline will be identified and state government will enter into a three-year agreement for operations
Sreekumar said the draft is at a initial stage. It will be known later which routes will be picked to link Udan airports globally