New Bangalore Airport to be inaugurated on 2 April 2008

The opening date of the new International Airport at Bangalore, as fixed by M/s. Bangalore International Ltd., (BIAL), is April 2, 2008. This information was given by Shri Praful Patel, Minister for Civil Aviation in the Parliament today.

The Minister informed the Parliament that the state Government of Karnataka has suggested that the new airport be known as ‘Bangalore International Airport.’ As a matter of general policy, the name of the city is retained for naming the Airport since passengers and visitors in general, and foreign tourists in particular, find it easier to identify the airport when it is named after the city it serves.

The works on six laning of NH-7 linking Bangalore City with Devanahalli, where the new Airport is being built, is complete except for two Railways Over Bridges (ROBs), which are being constructed by the Railways. The first ROB of length 539 km would be completed by May 2007 and the second of length 535 km. by the end of the year 2007.

The present Airport at Bangalore belongs to the HAL, Ministry of Defence, where Airports Authority of India maintains the Civil Enclave for civil aircraft operations. After commissioning of the New Airport at Devanahalli near Bangalore, the HAL Airport will be closed for commercial civil aviation operations.

Source : Press Information Bureau

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