Airport runway Gulbarga

              If all goes well the long awaited and the much talked about Gulbarga Greenfield Airport will be put in to operation by the ensuing independence day from August 15 and flying of aircraft’s may begin a few days before it.

             Announcing this to media persons here, Regional Airport Holding International (RAHI) Chairman Umesh Baweja and Deputy Commissioner R Vishal said that most of the civil works have been completed with only a portion of the runway remaining incomplete besides some other minor works and in all probability the maiden flight may take off/land on the new airport some time second week of August. According to Mr Baweja out of the 1900 m runway 1200m has been fully completed and the remaining 700 m will be completed in three weeks.

         RAHI, which in partnership with the state government has constructed the regional airport, itself will start the aircraft service but with a rider. Mr Baweja said the company has sent a proposal to the state government seeking adhoc subsidy towards the cost of the air travel for a few months till stability in passenger traffic was attained. “We have sent a proposal in this regard and are waiting for the state’s response. We need adhoc subsidy as the regional airports now here in the country are found not viable. The subsidy is for a temporary period’’ Mr Baweja said refusing to divulge the extent of subsidy it has sought. Replying to a question Mr Baweja said the air freight from Gulbarga to Bangalore via Bellary may be something between Rs 10,000 to 15,000. The operation cost of the company for air services will run to Rs 8 crore per year.

According to RAHI chairman to start with a 10 seater mini aircraft will be put in to service and in due course it will be replaced by 42 seater aircraft. He noted that out of the 81 regional airports in the country 76 are incurring losses.

Asked about the delay in the completion of the airport which was promised to be put into operation by first week of June Mr Baweja said some unforeseen obstacles came in the way like water logging in the airstrip and redesigning of the terminal building forcing the postponement by a couple of months. The company has taken up 99 regional airports across India and all of them are required to be completed by 2025. Gulbarga and Shimoga airports are the first two airports the company has undertaken and Gulbarga is the first airport to be launched. Shimoga airport will be ready by March 2013.

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