Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) has steered clear of the controversy regarding the Aero Show, shifting the blame to the Airports Authority of India for seeking to move it out of Bangalore.

“We have been quoted out of context,” said Hari Marar, President, Airport Operations. He said that in 2010, while giving permission to host Aero India, the Authority had told the Defence Ministry to shift the Aero Show outside Bangalore.

“BIAL cannot give an opinion. It is not our place to say that we want Aero India to be held here or not,” said Marar.

In July, the then Chief Minister D.V. Sadananada Gowda wrote to the Defence Minister, A. K. Antony, on the issue, saying, “It has come to our notice that there is a move to shift Aero India out of Bangalore. I am told that this has come up because of BIAL taking up the issue of aerospace management and the Ministry of Civil Aviation has approached the Ministry of Defence to consider moving the air show to a location where there is greater free air space.”

Capacity addition

Marar said that capacity addition for the airport will happen gradually and be completed before the end of 2013.

But Bangalore will have to wait another three to four years for the second runway to be complete to get the Category III B landing system, which will enable operations in foggy conditions. Hari Kumar , Vice President, Engineering and Maintenance said, “Implementing this with the existing runway will disrupt operations for four hours a day for around 370 days.” Currently, foggy conditions that prevent takeoff occur around 15 to 20 days a year.

Category III B is a landing system that will enable aircraft to land with a visibility range of 200 metres to 50 metres. Currently, according to BIAL’s site, aircraft can undertake normal operations as long as the runway visual range is 400 metres.

balaji.n@thehindu.co.in

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW