It will be a hassle-free experience for disabled passengers and visitors once the country’s first green field airport, the Bangalore International Airport in Devanahalli starts commercial flight operations in March this year.

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), the developers of the airport, as part of the airport infrastructure and facilities will provide special parking space for the special passengers something which is hard to imagine at the present HAL airport which faces a parking constraint.

At the five zones at the airport parking area, each zone has upto twelve parking spaces for the differently abled passengers.

Besides, passengers can also avail of the porter service that can be booked (on the internet or telephone) before arriving at the airport.

“BIAL recognises its responsibility in planning the airport infrastructure to accommodate all its passengers and this includes the differently abled passengers and visitors. We will be providing various facilities which will be of international standards,” a BIAL Official told Deccan Herald.

The state-of-the-art facilities include a walkway from the parking area to the passenger terminal building and toilets designed for differently for differently abled passengers and visitors to the airport.

“The walkway from the parking areas to the terminal building will have gently sloping ramps throughout and is wide enough to accommodate a large electric powered wheelchair. The specially designed toilets are at a height of 450 mm from the pathway, a small ramp leading up to the toilets facilitate wheel chair movement,” added Officials.

Though as an airport operator, BIAL will not operate ambulance and heli ambulance services. However, based on the requirement BIAL will accommodate heli ambulances at the airport, subject to the service operator obtaining all statutory clearances.

The ambulances on the land side and air side will be operated by the Columbia Asia Hospital.

Facilities at HAL

Like most airports across the country the present HAL Airport lags behind on all fronts with regard to the infrastructure facilities.

Apart from basic facilities like wheel chairs, which is provided on request and small ramps to the toilets, there is not much special assistance or facilities provided to the differently abled passengers.