Banaglore: Bangalore International Airport (BIA) will be renamed after the city's founder, Kempegowda, on Saturday. Addressing media persons here on Friday, IT, BT and Infrastructure Minister S.R. Patil said that besides naming the airport after Kempegowda, a new terminal that has the capacity to handle two crore passengers a year will also be dedicated inaugurated on Saturday.
CM Siddaramaiah will unveil the new name of the airport and civil aviation minister Ajit Singh will inaugurate the new terminal T1A. The State and Central governments both wanted the airport to be named after Kempe Gowda, with resolutions to this effect being passed in the State Assembly and by the Union Cabinet.
"The existing terminal’s annual capacity to handle passengers is about 1.2 crore. With the expanded terminal T1A, we can handle 20 million passengers annually," said Patil.
There is stiff competition between Chennai and Bangalore for being named the third largest airport in the country after Delhi and Mumbai, and the enlarged terminal will put Bangalore ahead, said Patil.
BIAL has provided direct employment to 7500 people. The airport has a turnover of Rs 560 crore, and made a profit of Rs 114 crore. BIA started operations in 2008, and has handled 6.4 crore passengers to date.
Patil said that construction of Gulbarga airport will be completed soon as 90% of the construction work is done, and the remaining work will be completed soon.
Bijapura airport will be developed at a cost of Rs 100 crore. The Airports Authority of India is willing to give Rs 50 crore, and the state government will give the remaining Rs 50 crore. The company that began the project has backed out after levelling the land, and a new tender will be called, Patil said, replying to a question.
The construction of Shimoga airport has landed in court over a legal dispute between two companies that came forward to take up the project. The government may hand it over to a third company, Patil explained.
