Its a last chance to put our weight behind this issue. In view of the urgency of the matter, the Governor should bring the two parties to the agreement — Civil aviation ministry and BIAL — across the table for resolving the issue or, failing which, seek Central intervention to find a way out. The civil aviation ministry itself doesn’t seem to attach much sanctity to its policy of not allowing two international airports within 150 km. Recently it cleared a proposal to establish an airport at Noida near Delhi and Kannur in Kerala. There are number industry leaders voicing concern, but they need a co-ordinated effort & even citizens need to pressurize the government to act on public opinion. Various schemes like giving equity in HAl airport to BIAL & domestic flights during peak hours are being debated privately. So how do we convince the reluctant BIAL to agree on public interest?
After March, it’s mayhem in Bangalore! - MSN India (http://news.in.msn.com/na...)
Bangalore: Imagine traveling for two hours to the airport to catch a 30-minute flight. Or, driving to Chennai in lesser time than getting to the airport and boarding a flight. Well, this could be the grim scenario once the new Bangalore international airport takes over the civilian operations from HAL airport on March 30. Though the HAL airport at Indira Nagar is located only six km from MG Road, the city centre, reaching there is still a motorists’ nightmare, given the burgeoning traffic and poor road infrastructure. What would be the travails of passengers if they have to travel 34 km(from MG Road) to reach the new international airport at Devanahalli, with no rail and poor road connectivity for the first 15 kilometres. The Karnataka Cabinet has approved a high speed rail link to the new airport, but the work on it is expected to start only by December this year. It will take another two years to complete the project. The Government also proposes to start work on a 21.2km, 180kmph expressway from Outer ring road to Devanahalli in September, but the stiff opposition from local people whose land will have to be acquired for the project, may still delay the commencement of the work on the project. It will take one year for the execution of the project. What till then? The growth of city’s air traffic has been unprecedented-- from 4-5 million a year projected in 2001 to the current 10 million. BIAL is expected to start off with 11-12 million.. What a mayhem it will be if the HAL airport is closed before finding a solution to the traffic conundrum? Imagine having to queue up for landing at Bangalore and then thread your way through a traffic jam during peak hour traffic! There is a universal demand, not only from the traveling public but also from aviation industry experts and professionals, that the situation in the IT hub warrants two airports, till the traffic to the new airport is streamlined and connectivity issue is addressed. What stands in the way of retaining the HAL airport after the launch of Devanahalli airport is a contractual agreement entered into between the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Bangalore International Airport Authority (BIAL) according to which no new or existing airport will be permitted to operate as a domestic or international airport within 150 km. Both parties to the agreement stick to their guns and keep the public on tenderhooks. The Ministry is adamant that it cannot breach this agreement and thereby deny a level playing field to other international airports in the country. Albert Brunner, CEO of BIAL, affirmed that any move to retain HAL airport would be a disaster as BIAL’s promoters have invested Rs 2,400 crore and are already working at its next expansion. “Keeping the old airport will also be a legal mess as the dozen concessionaires (of airport-related services like cargo, fuel, ground handling, retail, commercial units) are investing Rs 1,000 crore in their facilities,” he said. He didn’t agree with the suggestion that HAL should operate short flights to neighbouring States, holding that long-haul international flights come to a city only on the basis of short-haul links to places beyond it. But industry experts deny BIAL’s apprehension saying that with the skyrocketing demand for air travel, the Devanahalli airport operators will more than achieve the projected growth in passenger traffic and hence there is no reason for the HAL airport to be considered a competitor. The civil aviation ministry itself doesn’t seem to attach much sanctity to its policy of not allowing two international airports within 150 km. Recently it cleared a proposal to establish an airport at Kannur in Kerala, which is only 93km away from the Kozhikode international airport. Major cities like Delhi and Mumbai have had different airports handling domestic and international passengers. In fact, these airports have two terminals each for handling burgeoning domestic travellers. HAL airport can be retained if the Civil Aviation Minister and BIAL agree to review the agreement. But with both the sides in no mood to relent, only a political initiative could now break the logjam. Before H D Kumaraswamy stepped down as Chief Minister, he had expressed himself in favour of retaining the HAL airport. till road and rail facilities from the city to Devanahalli were in place and had offered to take up the issue with the Union civil Aviation minister. But before he could take any concrete steps in this direction, his ministry fell. A popular government in Karnataka is likely to be installed only by May and since the new airport is to become functional on March 30, any initiative to resolve the issue has to come from Governor Rameshwar Thakur. In view of the urgency of the matter, the Governor can bring the two parties to the agreement—Civil aviation ministry and BIAL—across the table for resolving the issue or, failing which , seek Central intervention to find a way out. But the issue is still to come up for serious consideration by the Governor. With no one else for the people to turn to and with the two contending parties looking the other way, it looks as if BIAL would have its way. This is a story that is likely to develop into something big. So, we are trying to get information from all quarters concerned on how a resolution that would help the air travellers at large can be reached. Watch this space for more… (Source: P. Venugopal, India Syndicate)
Forward this Forum topic
some comments on the Hindu report
Some quick comments on the Hindu report
a. First off, they still do journalism unlike the sensationalism of ToI. I need to change my newspaper and quickly :)
b. they have got one data point and without the incremental traffic to the aiport itself. Could be not an insignificant factor. Sorry to rain on the parade. I would like to see statistical data. There are days when I do a Richmond Town to JP Nagar 7th phase trip in 30 mins but on an average it takes 40 mins with a worst case of 1 hr. I think 64 mins from Jayanagar 5th block is one of the better timings - in fact might be even better than the trip to HAL airport!. I would still say that even 90 mins would not be bad from Jayanagar. Predicability is as important as the actual time - it leads to less stress.
c. I think they have tried to be a bit more representative of the commute times by including places like Jayanagar and ITPL. Sarjapur Road, Indiranagar, Koramangala, Vijayanagar, need to be tracked as well. Electronics City is important but was being over represented in the noise. We have people in other parts of Bangalore as well.
d. In the case of Electronics city, if a person had a morning flight or afternoon flight, I doubt he/she would even bother to go to the office for 2 or 3 hrs. Work from home or airport. I am sure they will have Wi-fi at the airport. People who choose to live in the Electronics City area for shorter commutes to work - well this is the flip side of it.
e. NICE Road should get a boost if the total distance is 61 km to the trumpet interchange from EC. I am surprised that it is only 61 km, given the whole BMIC PRR itself is 41km. But who am I to argue with an odometer?
f. From ITPL the other option is the Budigere to Devanahalli Road. Does anyone have a timing for this? I would not use it at night though.
g. I don't think people (including me) have a very good idea of what it means to manage two commercial airports within 40 or 50 km of each other in terms of airspace. If a protocol has not been put in place for both airports till now, I would be very concerned if HAL was allowed to continue. (Flight from Hyderabad to HAL crossing Devanahalli while flight from Devanahalli to Cochin taking off!) Remember Charki Dadri? Indian airspace is very restricted as far as civil aviation is concerned. It's certainly a bit more complex than having multiple bus stands in the city.
Srivathsa
Drive safe. It is not just the car maker which can recall its product.
an interesting point of view
I am writing this mail, primarily due to my frustration about the new Bangalore's yuppies concern about BIAL. They say we should not close down HAL airport.
I know we are Hasiru Usiru and ideally not get involved in this controversy as we have bigger problems with our greenery.
I write now on behalf of all the TREES that were FELLED and STRIPPED out of existence, right from High Grounds Circle till BIAL..
We have all been killed and forgotten by the Majority of the Bangaloreans, now these Bangaloreans have united for a cause to save HAL Airport, If they do succeed, they will get awards and media hype, but what about us... Why didn't they talk about us when we were chopped. Do these people not think about anything else but themselves!! !
Use BIAL... Atleast then we died as martyrs...
My point is that the Govt has cut down every single tree and now if they reverse the decision on the commissioning of BIAL...
Who really gains... I know for one fact the trees lost...As usual no one cares except the few of us...
Diwan's Initiatives
Bangalore needs to thank the Diwans of Mysore for all the tall trees in various parts of the city. They were responsible for planting and maintaining them.
However we go cutting them without any concern. One nice approach to handle/mitigate the tree cutting issues was done on the National High School road in GandhiBazaar. What they did was planted sapplings on the shortened footpath and when the trees were tall enough..they chopped the older trees which were blocking the road. This was also done on the bull temple road.
What we are missing out is the replanting part..Hosur road..Mysore road, Bellary road and all other roads had huge trees..aalada mara..hunase mara..all cut now..there are few left with cut limbs to tell their story..what we need is a good reforestation plan..
win-win?
from Hindustan Times
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=9afeab4b-9db3-42b5-9b3e-88c7e40b6de6&MatchID1=4663&TeamID1=5&TeamID2=2&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1173&PrimaryID=4663&Headline=Inside+the+Black+Hole+of+Delhi
===================================================
Prakash Karat must love the new owners of Delhi’s international airport. When the government first mooted the idea of privatising India’s airports, the Left parties made the loudest objections. The rest of us took the line that inefficient public sector monopolies needed to be de-nationalised so that they could be run by the super-efficient Indian private sector. After all, we argued, how could things get any worse than they already were?
We were wrong. The Left was right.
Anybody who has travelled out of the hellhole that is Delhi airport will know that things have got much, much worse than anyone thought possible. Nobody disputes that the airport needs to be modernised and renovated. But equally, all such renovation must be done in a manner that causes as little inconvenience as possible to already harassed passengers.
In fact, the modernisation process has been so poorly conceived that large sections of the airport are off-limits to passengers and rather than open up new gates to ease congestion (at the main entrance or in the security area), the airport’s private owners have simply looked for space to hire out to shopkeepers at fancy rents.
To the greed and incompetence of the new management, add the ineptitude and laziness of the government authorities that man its various functions. Chief among these is the immigration department. Immigration officers face a genuine problem. There aren’t enough counters to handle the flood of passengers at peak hour. But this does not explain why so many counters go unmanned. Even when the queues stretch to the gate of the terminal and then back again, something like a third of the counters will be empty. Worse still, many of the immigration officers are marginally literate police inspectors who hate their jobs (no bribes to be earned at the airport). Even when they know how to use their computers (and many cannot type), they couldn’t be bothered to clear passengers quickly. A month ago, I arrived on an international flight to find a scrum in the arrival hall as passengers mobbed the two immigration officers on duty. Nobody bothered to enforce the discipline of a queue or to see that other counters were manned.
I could go on. The CISF has improved its overall standard but its officers still account for half the delays at the airport (though part of the problem is infrastructural). Airline counter staff tend to be rude and unhelpful. The road outside the terminal is so unevenly tarred that is almost impossible to run your trolley smoothly. And that’s assuming you find a trolley.
Contrast the nightmare that is airport privatisation with the Indian Railways, where, against all odds, things have steadily got better over the last four years.
That’s when you realise that the only thing worse than a slothful public sector monopoly is a greedy private sector monopoly.
===================================================
Rakesh.
Private airports efficient?? - A report from Hindustan times
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=9afeab4b-9db3-42b5-9b3e-88c7e40b6de6&MatchID1=4663&TeamID1=5&TeamID2=2&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1173&PrimaryID=4663&Headline=Inside+the+Black+Hole+of+Delhi
===================================================
Prakash Karat must love the new owners of Delhi’s international airport. When the government first mooted the idea of privatising India’s airports, the Left parties made the loudest objections. The rest of us took the line that inefficient public sector monopolies needed to be de-nationalised so that they could be run by the super-efficient Indian private sector. After all, we argued, how could things get any worse than they already were?
We were wrong. The Left was right.
Anybody who has travelled out of the hellhole that is Delhi airport will know that things have got much, much worse than anyone thought possible. Nobody disputes that the airport needs to be modernised and renovated. But equally, all such renovation must be done in a manner that causes as little inconvenience as possible to already harassed passengers.
In fact, the modernisation process has been so poorly conceived that large sections of the airport are off-limits to passengers and rather than open up new gates to ease congestion (at the main entrance or in the security area), the airport’s private owners have simply looked for space to hire out to shopkeepers at fancy rents.
To the greed and incompetence of the new management, add the ineptitude and laziness of the government authorities that man its various functions. Chief among these is the immigration department. Immigration officers face a genuine problem. There aren’t enough counters to handle the flood of passengers at peak hour. But this does not explain why so many counters go unmanned. Even when the queues stretch to the gate of the terminal and then back again, something like a third of the counters will be empty. Worse still, many of the immigration officers are marginally literate police inspectors who hate their jobs (no bribes to be earned at the airport). Even when they know how to use their computers (and many cannot type), they couldn’t be bothered to clear passengers quickly. A month ago, I arrived on an international flight to find a scrum in the arrival hall as passengers mobbed the two immigration officers on duty. Nobody bothered to enforce the discipline of a queue or to see that other counters were manned.
I could go on. The CISF has improved its overall standard but its officers still account for half the delays at the airport (though part of the problem is infrastructural). Airline counter staff tend to be rude and unhelpful. The road outside the terminal is so unevenly tarred that is almost impossible to run your trolley smoothly. And that’s assuming you find a trolley.
Contrast the nightmare that is airport privatisation with the Indian Railways, where, against all odds, things have steadily got better over the last four years.
That’s when you realise that the only thing worse than a slothful public sector monopoly is a greedy private sector monopoly.
===================================================
Rakesh.
Today's TOI - "leaders' " responses
Was fairly annoyed reading some of the "leaders'" remarks in today's TOI.
Gopinath has a vested interest in keeping HAL airport open. Deccan will be hit hard (at least to start with). He is a bit like the CMH traders who don't want the Metro.
I can't understand Kiran Majumdar's comments. How would she like it if one of her suppliers or customers reneged on a contract giving public interest as an excuse. I would not want to do business with a person who treats contracts as lightly as this - snot that I've been asked to :) "Business will take a beating..." Why? Is Biocon's business conducted on planes and airports rather than in the marketplace? If I were a shareholder in Biocon, I would have liked to understand why so much of flying about was happening?
Rajendra Mishra takes his lead India crown quite seriously. I almost laughed when he says that some MPs from Karnataka also want HAL airport to continue - quote them when convenient!. What were those MPs doing all these days instead of ensuring that NHAI finished work on the stretch or putting pressure on Indian Railways to put a CRS in place or getting the expressway built or the elevated road built from hebbal to Yelahanka?
Why do things dawn on these people so slowly. They are all supposed to be proactive and have an ability to plan well.
I hate to put these two in the same sentence but - I just hope BIAL does not turn into another BMIC!
Srivathsa
Drive safe. It is not just the car maker which can recall its product.
Privatization is not a panaecea
Rakesh,
Privatization itself is not going to solve things. If private players are not regulated properly then you will end up in a worse situation, because there is the profit/greed movtive as well. See Blueline. So you need a proper carrot and stick policy.
I lived in Singapore. The government departments were just fantastic. I used to clear immigration in about a minute. getting my mother's visa extended took me just 15 mins. Changi airport was amazing. All run by the government, but one that held everyone accountable.
The basic assumption is that private players have an incentive to get things done and efficiently because their profits depend on it. (BIAL is a classic example - things have run like clockwork till now). But if you do not regulate them and with an iron hand you are asking for trouble - Enron, Worldcom.
If you don't measure every aspect of the operation and hold people accountable, then you are going to end up in a Delhi airport situation.
my two cents
Srivathsa
Drive safe. It is not just the car maker which can recall its product.
One in hand is better than 2 in a bush.......................
We are wasting time and energy on a issue that will not return any benefits rather it might become our liability. Keeping HAL airport open for commercial operations just goes against everything we as Indians and Kannadigas are known for. Commitment, sincerity, standing upto promises, faithful to treaties and agreements, all these lofty ideals that we hold so dear will take a hit. We are proud people and will sacrifice everything for our honour. Isn't it?
If the connectivity is the issue then ask yourselves these questions.
1. Does current commute to HAL airport any better today?
2. How much time a person from Malleswaram / Peenya / Rajajinagar had to spend on the road to HAL?
Let's put our efforts to see that we turn challanges into oppurtunities. Instead of wasting time on protesting HAL closure, lets make use of the BIAL to its fullest potential. We can do many things......
1. IF the drive to BIAL on NH7 route is not a smooth ride, remove all bottlenecks for smooth drive. Demand and pressurise BBMP for early completion of all underpasses.
2. If NH7 is going to be choked, let's find alternate routes. Give publicity to such routes.
3. If the ride to BIAL is going to be expensive, demand for cheaper and environmental friendly transports. Avoid using cars / Bikes. Use public transport. Demand more frequent bus service from all part of Bangalore.
4. BBMP is still on bed, wake them up. Demand them to complete all the road widening, lighting, signage, good exit and entry points to major roads.
5. Too many cars and private vehicles, demand multi-nodal public transport that can replace all cars and bikes.
If BBMP can build and operationalise a Underpass in 35 days, we can make the BIAL experience a memoriable one. Continuing to improve our road infrastructure to BIAL will also improve the other roads as well.
In last 4 deacdes when did the work on so many roads and highways went on faster pace? If we carefully analyze it, BIAL is driving many developments.
1. It is pushing the road infrastructure work on a higher speed than before.
2. Aviation growth is taking a leap and is bound to create new oppurtunities for business and jobs in particular.
3. Setting an example and encouragement for future greenfield oppurtunities in other infrastructure areas - Public transport, Railways etc.
4. Strengthening the IT edge that Bangalore has. Atleast now, no body would be shifting his business to big metropolis due to lack of good International airline connectivity.
The list continues.........
FYI, Currently I live in sub-urb of Washington DC, USA. My home is about 40 miles to the international airport (IAD). Roughly it takes me about 45 minutes if the roads are not blocked. Guess what? Mon-Friday, Morning (6 am to 9 am) and Evenings (3:00 to 6:00), it will take me about cool 90 to 120 minutes (2 hours). That is with all the modern infrastructure and responsive civic administration.
Comparing this we are not so bad......... Let's work to make it better.
Why the IT folks are complaining
Re:Privatization is not a panaecea
Srivathsa, Agree with your comments. Regulatory body has to to monitor the performance of airports. But again why it failed to take steps in Delhi airport in India?
Iam also disappointed with the postponing of BIAL inaugaration to May. I just still dont understand where it went wrong in the project management schedule regarding the ATC which seems the cause of the delay. I guess a bunch of new international airlines were ready to induct more new services into BIAL beginning summer schedule April 1 2008. Now with this postponement, airlines and public loose the benefit of these new airlines till winter schedule as HAL airport cannot handle these additional flights.
Coming back to the HAL airport issue, More importantly why public is penalised for non-performance of an airport? If there are two airports in a city, public has the choice to use one airport if the other is performing bad. Many cities are dreaming of having another airport just because they are fed up with their existing one. Now when Bangalore already has the choice of operating two airports ( mind you, HAL is still willing to continue operations), why in the world would Government, who is supposed to protect interests of public , want to close down HAL airport? If BIAL is truly going to operate at international standards, serving the public with highest regards and going to perform well, why BIAL should be afraid of HAL airport which has only limited facilities?
Let me repeat that BIAL already has a very good start with better facilities and should focus on growth by performance than by forcing shutdowns on existing airports like HAL or preventing new airports from coming around.
Rakesh.
Rakesh.
Lots of people are saying
A report from newspaper - people's verdict on HAL airport
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IE120080318215137&Page=1&Title=Bangalore&Topic=0
People’s verdict: Keep HAL open
Wednesday March 19 2008 08:18 IST
RAMU PATIL
BANGALORE: An opinion poll, the first of its kind conducted at the HAL airport by Bangalore-based research firm Feedback Business Consulting Private Limited, has revealed that over 81 per cent of air travellers feel that since connectivity to the Bangalore International Airport is not in place, HAL airport needs to be kept open.
Over 71 per cent of them opined that BIAL, HAL and the Civil Aviation Ministry should come together to find a way to operate both airports, while over 54 per cent felt that HAL airport must be kept open even if it meant paying penalties.
The survey was conducted between Feb 26 and March 1, spread across different time slots from 6 am to 10 pm. A total of 1,148 people, frequent as well as occasional flyers in different age groups, were interviewed. Over 70 per cent of them felt that the closure of HAL airport would affect them.
“The opinion poll has shown the popular sentiment. Now the agencies concerned should look at the feasibility of keeping HAL airport open,” Chandramouli, general manager of the research firm , told this website’s newspaper.
The poll findings assume significance as Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) has ruled out the possibility of keeping the HAL airport open as they will lose revenue and it will also amount to breach of agreement between the airport promoters and the Centre.
BIAL’s argument has not gone down well with industry bodies and the PSU, which believe air traffic has increased tremendously in last few years and the new airport will be saturated in the first year itself.
Experts feel that there are two options for keeping HAL airport open: one is market driven wherein airlines bid for capacity slots, with bid amount shared between HAL and BIAL. The second option is negotiated; limit one hour flying time from Bangalore and revenue sharing between HAL and BIAL.
An expert committee comprising two airports, airlines and industry bodies can decide on any one of the options.
Rakesh.
Polls and public opinion