House panel recommends reopening of HAL airport

The standing committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, headed by Rajya Sabha member Sitaram Yechury, said in its report tabled in the Lok Sabha that the Union Civil Aviation Ministry had taken a hasty decision to close down the HAL airport.

The committee also criticised the government for closing down of old Hyderabad airport at Begumpet when the newly built airport at Shamshabad was opened.

“By closing these airports, the government has indirectly promoted the business interest of private airport operators,” the committee said. It said the government had still ample time to revisit the issue of closed old airports which were built by tax payers’ money. It also rejected the government’s argument that the operation of two airports in the same city would jeopardise the safety of the aircrafts and create difficulties for ATC operations. The panel also disapproved of the user development fees being collected from passengers by private airport operators.

On the complaints of exorbitant charges being collected at airports for parking of vehicles, the committee said, the government should impress upon the private airport operators to offer their services at an affordable price to the travelling public.

It may be noted that after the opening of Bangalore International Airport Limited ( BIAL) at Devanahalli, the Civil Aviation Ministry had closed down the HAL airport for commercial operations. This was done as per the precondition in the agreement signed between the Centre and BIAL.