Bengaluru: Is it finally time to see some action on reopening the HAL Airport, an air traffic hub right in the heart of the city, before the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) took all civilian flights away in 2008? After years of widespread public demand, the big stakeholders could be nearing a decision. However, despite the overwhelming evidence of public convenience, challenges remain.
All the key stakeholders met in Delhi on April 15 and discussed the issue threadbare. A flashy new second airport for the city could take at least a decade to be operationalised. But if the stakeholders decide, the existing HAL airport could be up and ready for flights in weeks. The big question: Will the State and Centre, Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) and HAL reach a consensus to act?
The Delhi meeting last month had the stakeholders deliberate on the question of the modalities related to who will run the HAL airport if it is reopened, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya said, “The question is about whether AAI or BIAL will do it. AAI is keen that they will themselves do the operations while BIAL says there is a no-compete clause, and therefore they will have to be given the opportunity to run the operations. So the modalities are being worked out how this can be done,” he explained.
Since the first meeting was not conclusive, the Civil Aviation Secretary has asked the stakeholders to meet again. Tejasvi elaborated: “I am told that the (next) meeting will discuss threadbare the details and modalities and bring a few workable propositions to the table. I am meeting with the Civil Aviation Minister again sometime this month, may be next time I go to Delhi for the next PAC meeting. I will raise this matter again and let’s see where this is going to go.”
Anticipating a decision, the AAI is reportedly ready with a master plan to equip the HAL airport with the necessary upgrades for commercial flights. Although its single 3,306m-runway has no scope for extension, the airport upgrade agenda integrates a multi-level car parking for 500 vehicles and enhanced terminal capacity. By May 2008, when it was closed for commercial flights, the airport had reached a passenger capacity of 10 million per year.
The big question is: Will the BIAL allow an amendment to the concession agreement that disallows any commercial airport within an aerial distance of 150km from KIA? The agreement signed with the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, and the State Government as a signatory, is effective till May 2033.
In October 2020, the State Cabinet had agreed to extend the concession agreement by 30 years. Significantly, it had a clause that BIAL would be allowed to operate the HAL airport for civilian use by exempting the latter from the 150km agreement condition. However, in 2024 April, a formal government notification on the extension did not mention HAL airport or the related clause.
For HAL, the airport had to be operational 24/7 for its fighter jet test flights, chartered VVIP and military personnel flights in all these 17 years. But to generate revenue, it wanted to reopen for civilian flights and was in touch with BIAL and the government for years.
