No option to closing old airport in B’lore: Patel

The new airport at Hyderabad is scheduled to open on March 14 while B'lore airport will open after a month when issues pertaining to air traffic control and safety are addressed, reports Samiran Saha and Sutirtho Patranobis.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel on Wednesday told the Parliament that the Government of India is obliged to close down all commercial civil aviation operations at the existing Hyderabad and Bangalore airport once the new airports are made operational.

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The new airport at Hyderabad is scheduled to open on March 14 while Bangalore airport will open after a month when issues pertaining to air traffic control and safety are addressed.

Patel made this statement following a “non-cooperation” agitation that has been started by the over 20,000 employees of the Airports Authority of India across 127 airports in the country.

“On its part, government of Indian (GoI) is obliged to close down all commercial civil aviation operations at the existing airports once the new airports are made operational. The Concession Agreement specifies the consequences of default by each party,” Patel told the Parliament.

Meanwhile the Left-affiliated trade unions on Wednesday extended their support to the strike call given by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) employees against the closure of Bangalore and Hyderabad airports. Both CPM-affiliated Centre of Indian Trade Unions and the CPI’s All India Trade Union Congress said the government should begin negotiations with the striking employees and review the decision to close the two airports.