Centre to study feasibility of 2 airports in Bangalore

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to look into the feasibility of equipping the Silicon City of the country with two airports for catering the needs of the people in an efficient manner.

The apex court, however, refused to direct the authorities not to shut down the HAL airport after operationalisation of the new Bangalore International Airport (Bial) at Devanhalli.

A bench comprising Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan and Justice MK Sharma asked the authorities to look into the plea of the petitioners. Additional solicitor general Gopal Subramanium on behalf of the Centre assured the court that the government is scheduled to meet on May 12 and the plea would be looked into.

Petitioner Bangalore City Connect Foundation, an organisation of the citizens of the city, has approached the apex court against the Karnataka High Court order. The HC on April 16 had refused to direct the authorities not to close the HAL airport or levy User Development Fee on the passengers at the Bial.

It had posted the matter for hearing in June. Currently, Bial has proposed UDF of Rs 240-plus taxes and Rs 520-plus taxes for domestic and international passengers, respectively. Bial is proposed to start its commercial operations from around end May, 2008.

Senior counsel Harish Salve and advocate Mahesh Agrawal on behalf of petitioners said that there is no provision under the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994 or the Aircrafts Act, 1934 which confers any power on the Union of India or the AAI permitting them to enter into an agreement to close down the existing airport.

The petition had sought direction to the authorities to permit functioning of both HAL and Bial airports. Senior counsel KK Venugopal and advocate Pratap Venugopal on behalf of Bial, however, said that commissioning of the new airport was a policy matter of the government which cannot be challenged in the court.