BENGALURU: City’s HAL airport is all set for a major revamp. A master plan is ready and has been approved by the chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), according to sources.
This airport catered to the air traffic needs of the city until 2008, when operations were shifted to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). Now, an average of 12 small aircraft, including those used by defence forces, VIPs and VVIPs and private firms, use the HAL airport daily. It has a single runway with 30 parking spots and is open 24x7.
A source told TNIE, “HAL’s master plan, which will hold good till 2047, aims to cater to 40 lakh passengers per annum. It could handle a maximum of 2,500 passengers during peak hours. “In 2007-08 fiscal, just before it closed for passenger traffic, it handled over 10 lakh flyers.
In the plan’s Phase-I, the airport area will be extended to 32,000 sqm from 21,885 sqm. “The terminal building will be demolished and a new one constructed. It will have ‘Arrivals’ at one level and ‘Departures’ at another level. At present, both are housed together. There will be a multi-level car parking facility (ground plus six floors), where 500 cars can be parked.”
The two-lane road in front of the terminal will be expanded to a four-lane one, he said.
“There will be no change in the runway of the airport. It has a length of 3,306 metres and a width of 61 metres. It is among the best runways in the country, dimension-wise,” said an airport official.
Another source said, “The agreement on exclusivity with Bangalore International Airport Limited, which bars any other airport from operating within 150 km, ends on May 24, 2033. As per the concession agreement signed between HAL and the Centre through the Ministry of Civil Aviation in July 2004, our airport will be opened for civilian operations by May 2033. Bengaluru will have a second airport by then. But due to the explosive growth the city is witnessing, there will always be a demand for another airport. Hence, we are gearing up for the future.”
The airport was opened in January 1941, but commercial operations began five years later. “HAL airport could play a crucial role in providing Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAAN) operations to neighbouring cities,” said a top official.
Flyers will definitely benefit from the revamped airport with multiple amenities, he added. The cost of implementing the plan is yet to be worked out.