The Hindu : Front Page : Airport opening delayed by a day

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 22, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

Airport opening delayed by a day

Bangalore Bureau

BANGALORE: The opening of the new international airport at Devanahalli, slated for May 23, has been put off by a day after the Ministry of Civil Aviation issued a notification to this effect on Wednesday.

Sources in the Ministry told The Hindu that the Election Commission (EC) had exception to to the date of inauguration. But the commission has categorically denied that it had anything to do with the postponement.

Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami told The Hindu that an official of the Civil Aviation Ministry on Wednesday sought permission to inaugurate the airport on May 22. “With the third phase of polling scheduled on the same day, the EC said that there cannot be any diversion of police deployed for polling duty,” he said.

“We are taken by surprise. All our efforts are towards minimising passenger and airline inconvenience owing to this postponement,” Albert Brunner, Chief Executive Officer of Bengaluru International Airport Ltd., said in a release.

Airlines have been informed about the postponement. The State Government had earlier told the Election Commission that the airport would be formally opened on May 24 and an inaugural function held the following day.

It was also said that while the present opening of the airport would be a low-key affair.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page