They said the terminal would be able to handle the passengers of two A 300s and one Boeing 747 aircraft at a time and would have modern facilities like escalators, elevators and aero-bridges.

The babus are still planning for the present on basis of a master plan drawn 10 year back. By the time this terminal is complete it will be inadequate.

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Mysore airport upgradation work set in motion

Mysore, Sep 7 (UNI) The much awaited process for upgrading the Mysore Mandakalli airport was set in motion, with the district administration handing over 154 acres of land required for the purpose to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) here today.
In a simple function organised by the AAI at the Mandakalli airport, Deputy Commissioner S Selva Kumar handed over the land to AAI Deputy General Manager (Civil) M N N Rao, in the presence of Mysore Lok Sabha member C H Vijayshankar.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Kumar said the AAI required another 20 acres of land, which was under litigation and expected to be cleared in a month’s time. The AAI had sought another 93 acres of land for its second phase work and the Government had notified it.
Mr Vijayshankar said the State Government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the AAI, agreeing to provide free land, along with free electricity supply, water and other facilities.
Mr Rao, speaking on the occasion, said the total cost of the two-year project was Rs 70 crore, which would be borne by the AAI. After completion of the first phase, the Mysore airport would be able to run ATR aircraft to Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. After the second phase, the airport would accommodate Boeing 737 and Airbus 320. In the first phase, the AAI would take up two runways, taxiways and construction of office building and boundary walls.
For the first phase, tenders have been opened at the AAI headquaters in New Delhi on August 31 and the process of alloting work would be completed by this month-end and actual upgradation work would begin by next month, he said.

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Govt enables BIAL to re-design Devanahalli airport
 New Delhi, Sep 7 (UNI)

The government today enabled Bangalore International Airport Ltd to make changes in the project design so as to be able to cater to 8.4 million passengers by 2010 against the earlier target of 2020.
 The Union Cabinet approved amendments to the concession agreement with BIAL, allowing the joint venture firm to re-design the airport under construction at Devanahalli.
 Traffic estimates in 2000 had shown that 8.4 million passengers would travel to and from Bangalore in 2020, but a boom in air travel meant that the passenger projection would have been reached in 2010 itself.
 As against the initial forecast of 41,000 aircraft movements per year in 2010, the latest projection has increased to 1,06,000 movements per annum, forcing the BIAL to to re-design the airport by merging the second phase of construction with the first phase to be completed by 2010.
 The Union Cabinet, at its meeting today, approved the signing of two agreements with the joint venture firm to modify the concession agreement to factor in changes in the project design.
 The projected cost, taking into account the redesigning of the project, would go up from Rs 1,411.79 crore to Rs 1,930.29 crore -- a hike of Rs 518.5 crore which would be funded through additional debt.
 The additional amount would be raised by BIAL through loans as well as advances received from third-party service providers like those to be involved in cargo handling or fuel supplies and not through additional equity or state support.
 Of this additional amount, Rs 450 crore would be taken from lenders and Rs 68.5 crore from the service providers, raising the debt-equity ratio from 2.25:1 to 3.63:1, an official spokesperson said.  
 Under the new design, the total built-up area for the passenger terminal building would be increased to 71,000 sq.metres as against 55,850 sq.m.
 The apron area for aircraft parking has been raised from 290,000 sq.m. to accommodate 36 aircraft of the Boeing-737 category, while the length of the taxiways as well as entry and exit to and from the runway have also been increased to accommodate enhanced aircraft movement.
 The additional works due to the re-design would be bifurcated into two categories -- one to be awarded to existing contractors to maintain uniformity and the other to be awarded to third party contractors through open tender, official sources said.
 The original concession agreement between government and BIAL was approved in January 2004 for the greenfield airport to be constructed at Devanahalli near Bangalore through a joint venture.
 The agreement was signed in July that year, which was followed by other agreements including those on state government support and land lease.

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Karnataka hands over 154 acres of land to AAI
 Mysore,Sep 8 (UNI)

A major step towards the fulfillment of the five decade long dream for a full-fledged airport in the city was taken today with the Karnataka Government formally handing over 154 acres out of 174 acres to the Airport Authority of India (AAI).
 At an informal function at Mandakalli Airport, Deputy Commissioner S Selva Kumar handed over the documents relating to the land to AAI Deputy General Manager M N N Rao.
 The handing over of the papers marks the beginning of work on the Rs 70 crore first phase of the project for the upgradation of the Airport.
 Rao told reporters that the first phase, which would be completed in 24 months, would facilitate landing of ATR 72 type aircraft with a seating capacity of 65 to 70 passengers. The project’s second phase, which would be taken up later, envisages the infrastructural development of landing of big aircraft like Airbus 320 with 160 seats and Boeing 737.
 During the first phase,works such as construction of two runways, perimeter,and terminal grounds would be taken up.
 Selva Kumar said action would be initiated to acquire 95 acres of land for taking up the second phase.According to the MoU,the State Government would provide free water,power and security. As regards the remaining 20 acres of land necessary action is being initiated.

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Centre undecided on modernisation path of Kolkata airport
 Kolkata, Sep 11 (UNI)

The Centre was still undecided whether the modernisation process of the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here should be done by Airports Authority of India (AAI) or through joint venture, Civil Aviation minister Praful Patel said today.
Patel, who was attending a meeting of the consultative committee attached to the ministry here, said that the final decision in this regard would be taken within a month after consulting the West Bengal government.
The West Bengal government had earlier approached the Centre for allowing AAI to undertake the modernisation work. It had disapproved the joint venture route which was followed in case of Delhi and Mumbai airports.
Patel said the ministry was in favour of taking a decision in a short period as the modernisation process was being delayed.
He also said that unlike the West Bengal government, the Tamil Nadu government was keen on modernising the Chennai airport through joint venture.
On modernisation of 35 non-metro airports, Patel said that the list included Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Agartala, Ranchi and Patna.

Patel said that while AAI would be engaged in the modernisation job, the Centre would invite joint venture partners to carry out other developmental work near the vicinity of the airports.
Patel said it was decided to improve air connectivity and infrastructure in the Northeast region. It was decided to construct airports in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, he said.
Patel said that the airports would be built by AAI with support from the North Eastern Council and the Planning Commission. He said that the airports would come up in the shortest possible time.
There was also a proposal to build an airport near Kohima in Nagaland.
On Kolkata airport, he said that the maintainance base of the new fleet of A319s aircraft would be located here, while a big cargo complex would also come up in the same venue.
He said that the ministry had also decided to give incentives for improving regional connectivity.

 

Base for  (19) IA's A319s.

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Works on for parking bays in Chennai airport

Chennai, Sep 12 (UNI)

Work is going on for setting up 19 aircraft parking bays at the airport here at an estimated cost of 37 crore.

Talking to newspersons today airport director Dinesh Kumar said, out of the 19, four parking bays have already been completed and the rest would be ready by January next.

He said the expansion work at the Anna international airport was going on over a total area of 2,000 sq metres at a coast of ten crore. Under this expansion, apart from other developmental works, the arrival and departure areas would be more spacious, he said. Chennai airport is handling 600 aircraft, both in domestic and international sectors, per day.

Mr Kumar said the construction of the 2,062 metre secondary runway with turning pad facilities, at a coat of Rs 9 crore, was underway, and the work was expected to be over by this December.

‘‘Once the runway is ready, the airport will be able to handle more aircraft and can avoid delay in arrivals and departures’’, he said. 

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Airports modernisation to be completed by 2010: Praful Patel

Kolhapur, Sep 12 (UNI)

Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel today said the Government has decided to modernise airports in all the six metropolis cities.

Talking to reporters at the Ujalaiwadi Aerodrome here, Mr Patel said the development of 35 airports in the non-metros has also been proposed.

The modernisation of the airports has already been launched and would be completed by 2010 at an estimated cost of Rs 50,000 crore, the Minister said.

Regarding the lack of facilities at the Kolhapur Aerodrome, Mr Patel advised the authorities concerned to submit a detailed plan to the Centre for its improvement.

AAI of India is developing the airports in the foothills of the Himalayas to enable LCCs to operate regular services to these airports.

While a new landing strip and terminal is ready at Kangra and Pathankot, work is soon going to begin at Pantnagar and Dehra Dun. These places are very close to popular hill stations like Dalhousie, Dharamshala, Nainital, Mussorie and Ranikhet.

The existing airport at Dehra Dun — that can at present handle only an ATR — would have to be closed for about a year when work starts on expanding its runway from next month. "We are upgrading this runway to allow movement of Airbus A-320.


Airport development in the north.

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Major cities to have second airport: Prasad

New Delhi, Sep 13 (UNI)

Major cities across the country may get more than one airport in future, civil aviation secretary Ajay Prasad said today.

Currently, there is a restriction on building another airport within 150 km radius.

Air traffic is rising rapidly due to new airlines with low-cost models, prompting experts to suggest multi-airports in major cities.

‘‘The new civil aviation policy will address this issue,’’ said Mr Prasad while addressing a seminar organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC). He said the new policy could be out by next month.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recently suggested another airport in Mumbai, the country’s busiest aviation hub. It facilitates more than 500 aircraft movements per day and carries around 50,000 passengers, resulting in handling about 37 per cent of the country’s air traffic.

Airports in India handled 73.3 million passengers and 1.4 million tonnes of cargo in 2005-06. Over the next decade, the figures are expected to grow to 90 million and three million tonnes.

The government is expanding and modernising 35 airports in various cities. Feasibility reports for 25 of them have been received by the civil aviation ministry and 10 more will come within a month, said Mr Prasad.

The expressions of interest (EoIs) will be called in October, he said adding five more companies have sought government approval to start airline operations in the country.