Bangalore: Residents of Bangalore never wanted the old airport to be shut down and now the Chief Minister has promised to keep their wish.
B S Yeddyurappa on Tuesday said his government would find out how to revive the HAL, which was shut down three months ago after a new international airport, BIAL, was constructed in Devanahalli
“All our legislators and also industrialists and experts want to have one more airport. They want to retain HAL airport,” said Yeddyurappa.
A report by the Airports Authority of India says the BIAL airport falls short of capacity. That’s one reason the state government wanted to use the old airport for this year's Haj pilgrimage, during which than 5,000 people will be traveling next month.
BIAL airport were unwilling to serve the pilgrims. “BIAL people did not agree because this is a violation of the concession agreement,” said Minister for Haj Mumtaz Ali Khan.
The campaign to keep HAL airport has been on for more than six months now. With some of the city's top names involved, petitioners had approached court. As a legal battle wages on in the Karnataka High Court, the government is now trying a parallel path.
“My point is that the international airport is not up to mark. That is why we have formed a legislature committee and whatever necessary decision has to be taken we will do that after its report,” said Yeddyurappa. That committee is to be formed shortly.
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