The Hindu Business Line : ‘No domestic user fee for 3 months in Bangalore airport’

Bangalore, April 30 Bangalore International Airport Ltd has relented to requests and fully exempted domestic passengers from levy of a user development fee for the first three months of operation.

BIAL announced its decision here on Tuesday after a meeting in Delhi between BIAL’s CEO, the Minister and officials of Civil Aviation Ministry and the State Government. International passengers, however, are to pay Rs 955 plus tax as proposed earlier.

The meeting was held on the advice of the Karnataka High Court on April 16 to reconsider the twin issues: the retaining of the HAL airport and the levy of user fee on domestic passengers.

On demands to keep the HAL airport running, BIAL maintained its stand on having one operational airport. “We have taken note of the suggestions made by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and have exchanged our views on the importance of having a single aviation platform. Further discussion on this issue will be held in the next meeting scheduled on May 12.”

About the user fee concession, BIAL said, “We have agreed with the suggestion made by the Ministry to have Rs 955 plus tax for every embarking international passenger and no UDF for embarking domestic passenger for a period of three months after the airport opening date.”

The final level of the fee is to be decided later. “The Ministry is working on a guideline for UDF and the final negotiations will be held once this guideline as well as the final audited cost of the BIAL project [are] ascertained,” the statement said.

REASON FOR DELAY

The reason for delaying the airport opening has not been spelt out. Was the stalling for the second time based on reasons of readiness of the Devanahalli airport? Was it a political decision in the midst of the Assembly elections? Or was it due to the contentions on the HAL airport and the user fee?

It was for all these reasons put together, an official present at the meeting said. “It has been felt that the closure of the HAL airport at this juncture might have an influence on the elections.”

“Today’s meeting was called mainly to discuss the two issues of retaining the HAL airport and the UDF as per the High Court directive. We have had the first round of talks today and we will hold the second round [on May 12] after the elections in Bangalore” are over on May 10, the official said.

The airport was first planned to open on March 30 but was stalled on the grounds that the air traffic control system was not ready in time and its staff needed time to train.

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