It seems the silicon capital of India may have two airports with the Karnataka High Court directing the Centre, Karnataka government and Airports Authority of India (AAI) to renegotiate the concession agreement with Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) ?in the larger public interest?.
In a 13-page directive on Wednesday, the high court said the three respondents should immediately re-negotiate with BIAL on keeping open the HAL airport and also not levy any user development fees (UDF) from the passengers at the new international airport.
As per the concession agreement, no new or existing airport both international and domestic (except for Mysore and Hassan airports) shall be permitted by the Centre to be developed, improved or upgraded within an aerial distance of 150 km of the Bengaluru International Airport. Currently, BIAL has proposed UDF of Rs 240-plus taxes and Rs 520-plus taxes for domestic and international passengers, respectively.
However, the high court said both the governments and AAI should re-negotiate the two issues with BIAL and explore the possibility of ?minimising, if not completely removing, the inconvenience and difficulties of the people?.
The directive came while the high court was hearing public interest litigations seeking the retention of existing airport, citing poor connectivity to and high user charges at the new airport.
?Though we are not persuaded to pass an interim order directing the respondents not to close the HAL airport for commercial civil aviation operations and not to levy any UDF from the passengers at the new international airport, we are of the view that in the light of the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee, the Union of India should seriously consider the need for renegotiating the said two issues with the BIAL in the larger public interest,? the court said.
Declining to pass an interim order, the court posted the PILs for final disposal in the second week of June. The Bengaluru International Airport is scheduled to open for commercial activities from May 11.
Meanwhile, a BIAL spokesperson refused to comment on the court directive. ?We have applied for the order and once we study it, we will be able to comment on it,? the spokesperson said.
The greenfield international airport is expected to handle 10.2 million passengers per annum, while the HAL airport currently handles 10.5 million passengers.
Earlier, BIAL chief executive officer Albert Brunner had categorically stated that they would not renegotiate the concession agreement and would insist on the closure of the existing HAL airport.
?It will be a legal disaster (if the HAL airport is kept open). We need a second airport in Bangalore once BIAL is saturated. Two airports can work if they are just 10 minutes away, but not if it is such far away,? he said.