BIAL signs up two strategic partners for cargo handling

Bangalore, May 16 (UNI) The Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) today signed up with concessionaires for cargo handling in the proposed international airport at Devanahalli scheduled to be thrown open for traffic from April, 2008 BIAL CEO Albert Brunner said the concessionaires were the Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS)-Air India Consortium and Bomba Group-menezies Aviation Consortium.

The two consortia had been selected after an extensive technical and financial evaluation process, he said, adding that the other concessionaires would be selected by the end of the year.

He said the concessionaires would have to invest Rs 150 crore in infrastructure for cargo handling. Apart from this, it would have to invest in equipment and other requirements. The cargo to be handled would be around 350,000 tonnes a year. Once the volume increased, a third concessionaire would be selected. The concession was for 20 years, he added.

Mr Brunner said the airport had been redesigned in view of the increased traffic inflow. As against the originally envisaged 4.5 million passengers per year, the revised capacity was 6.8 million passengers. The cost, which was originally pegged at Rs 1,412 crore, had now been increased to 1,930 crore in view of the redesigning.

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