The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ‘Is it wrong to be on time?’

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 31, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

‘Is it wrong to be on time?’

Staff Reporter

BIAL CEO says everyone knew the new airport will be operational by March 2008

BANGALORE: Bangalore International Airport Limited’s Chief Executive Officer Albert Brunner feels he did his job only too well.

Commenting on the delay in providing easy access to the airport, he said: “Construction of the airport began in July 2005. All these years you knew that the airport work is going on. Suddenly you blame us as we are on time (in completing the work and beginning the operation). It is you who wanted to have the new international airport. I do not want to blame anybody (for the mess),” he said, speaking at a roundtable on Connectivity to the New International Airport organised by the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce here on Tuesday. On BIAL taking over the trumpet interchange work from NHAI, Mr. Brunner said: “The National Highway Authority of India had selected a contractor who had never even built a bridge. We have taken the work, which was planned by NHAI three months back. Now it says that it wants to widen NH 7 and the project (designed by NHAI itself) not up to the standard.”

Rail link

On the proposed high-speed rail link to the airport, Mr. Brunner said the BIAL Board has agreed to participate in the project with equity and the percentage of the equity was yet to be decided.

‘Not feasible’

Reacting to demands by various quarters to retain the present HAL Airport as a domestic airport or continue its operation till BIAL becomes fully operational, Mr. Brunner said the proposal was not feasible.

Stating that airports at New York and London, the examples being offered by advocates for two airports to sustain the claim, handle over 100 million passengers, Mr. Brunner noted the projected passenger flow at BIAL was just 11 million.

On the other hand, airlines would face difficulties in managing their infrastructure as well as operation if there are two airports as short-haul and long-haul flights compliment each other.

Unless both the airports have high-speed connectivity, the proposition does not work.

BIAL as well as various companies chosen by it to provide various ground services have invested heavily on the project.

While BIAL has invested Rs. 2,400 crore, the service providers are likely to invest Rs. 1,000 crore.

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