Air India’s Singapore flight to be first one out of BIAL

BIAL, which has received clearances from the civil aviation ministry to start commercial operations, has already informed airlines that all flights landing or departing after midnight on May 23 would operate from the new airport at Devanahalli on the outskirts of the Karnataka capital. The switch in operations from the existing HAL airport to BIAL would take place from that time. Security of the new airport has been handed over to Central Industrial Security Force personnel. However, the airport itself is likely to be formally inaugurated only early next month, once the election process that is currently underway in Karnataka is complete.

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Civil Aviation head, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury has suggested that the new airport be named after Tipu Sultan. In a letter justifying the christening to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Yechury said that Devanahalli was the birth place of freedom fighter Tipu Sultan who fought the British in the 18th century.

Inauguration of BIAL has already been postponed twice. The initial inauguration date of March 28 had to be put off since the air traffic control systems were not in place. The subsequent date of May 11 had to be delayed due to political reasons as the three-phase Karnataka elections end on May 22. Controversies surrounding the demand for keeping the existing HAL airport open for short-haul flights, a court case to this effect and also the issue of levying user development fee (UDF) on passengers have also held up the launch of commercial operations from the airport.