Reopening of Bengaluru's HAL airport possible if BIAL agrees: Report

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Bengaluru's HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) airport, which shut down in 2008, could reopen for short-haul flights if the Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) takes up the state government on its offer to run it.

According to a report in Deccan Herald newspaper, aviation experts indicated that BIAL may not be inclined towards the offer since the completion of the second runway and the second terminal (T2) would boost Kempegowda International Airport's capacity to handle rising passenger numbers for the next 10-15 years.

BIAL declined to comment, the newspaper said.

Reopening the HAL airport could help in short-haul flights to regional centres such as Hubballi, Mysuru, Kozhikode, Coimbatore and Kochi.

The Karnataka cabinet has decided to extend the concession agreement with BIAL for another 30 years. However, this comes with a clause that will allow the company to operate the HAL Airport.

BIAL will have to exempt itself from the clause that disallows any other airport within a 150-km radius around KIA for 25 years, the report said.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, a top Airports Authority of India (AAI) official who was earlier with HAL said that the two sides were in talks to restart the old airport. However, they could not agree on a revenue-sharing agreement, "This was much before the second runway was commissioned. With the infrastructure getting ready to upgrade capacities, BIAL may not be keen now," the official said.

According to the official, AAI and BIAL should first agree on the operational issues besides revenue-sharing, alongside HAL agreeing to let its tarmac be used for landings and takeoffs. This is because while the tarmac is owned by HAL, the terminal belongs to AAI.

The biggest impediment will be once the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) production is ramped up. This is because HAL will need the airport for more flight tests. According to an Air Traffic Centre official, the airport can easily handle 100 flights daily.

A window can be created for commercial flights where they can commute during morning and evening hours, the report said.