The Hindu : Karnataka News : Five-day Aero India from February 9

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 18, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Five-day Aero India from February 9

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, OCT. 17. Aero India, the premier air show in the country, will be organised from February 9, 2005, according to the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force Training Command, Subash Bhojwani.

Addressing presspersons here today, Air Marshal Bhojwani said that the Yelahanka airfield was being upgraded to suit the needs of the five-day show, the sixth in the series. He said that the hanger space was being doubled to accommodate aircraft arriving for the show, besides making improvement the facilities for the static aircraft display.

Amenities

He said that 20,000 sq ft. would be readied to allow static display of aircraft at the southern end of the runway and an aerial display would be organised at the northern end of the runway.

Air Marshal Bhojwani said that the organisers were expecting a crowd between 50,000 and 70,000 daily, a 50 per cent increase over the last edition. A new media centre and a viewing gallery would be added in the sixth edition that was expected to attract business delegates and participants in large numbers.

He said that several agencies had been coordinating with the IAF for Aero India. The National Highway Authority of India was widening the highway leading to Yelahanka and Indian Railways was constructing a railway underpass to facilitate smooth flow of traffic to and from Yelahanka airfield.

Runway

Though the authorities wanted to increase the length of the runway at the Yelahanka airfield, he said, it had not been possible. The runway could only be kept ready for the 2007 edition of the Aero India show.

Air Marshal Bhojwani said that while the present length of the airfield was 7,250 ft., the authorities wanted it to increase to 9,000 ft. The extension of the runway was immediately not possible due to the presence of a railway line.

On the need for increasing the length of the runway, he said that an improved runway would allow the landing of heavier aircraft. They were investing on the improved runway as Yelahanka airfield would be the permanent venue for the Aero India shows in future.

Sales tax

Air Marshal Bhojwani appealed to the Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, to remove the sales tax imposed on goods sold in Defence canteens.

While the revenue earned by the Government by imposing sales tax on goods sold in canteen was negligible, the burden on several families of Defence personnel was considerable.

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