MoCA puts off opening of Bengaluru International Airport

Bangalore, May 21 (UNI) Union Ministry of Civil Aviation today asked the promoters of the greenfield Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) at Devanahalli, about 40 km from here, to put off its opening by a day due to technical reasons.

In a notification, the Ministry said the BIA would be commissioned with effect from 0001 hrs of May 24 instead of May 23 as notified earlier.

All flights landing and departing after midnight would operate from the new airport and flights arriving before midnight on May 23 and departing after midnight would also operate from the new airport.

Commenting on the notification, BIAL CEO Albert Brunner said, we are taken by surprise, In fact, we have just closed a press conference communicating our preparedness for tomorrow.

''All our efforts are now towards minimising passenger and airline inconvenience owing to this postponement.'' BIA is promoted by a consortium of Zurich International Airports Ltd, Siemens and L and T. Karnataka government holds 26 per cent stake in the project.

The airport was spread over 4,000 acre and the first phase of the airport had been built with an investment of Rs 2,470 crore.

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