Showing posts with label Bangalore International Airport. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bangalore International Airport. Show all posts

Security hollered up at Bangalore, Hubli airport

Hubli airport

Following news of the Intelligence Bureau pointing possible terror attacks with the use of hijacked aircrafts, Bangalore International Airport (BIA) authorities on Sunday said they had sufficient security in place to deter any attack.

Intelligence information recommended that there could be attempts by terrorist elements to board aircraft originating at smaller airports like Hubli, hijack them and use them for 9/11 style attacks in cities like Mumbai and Bangalore.

The BIA had before advised passengers to check in early at the airport as there would be enlarged number of checks after the Mumbai blasts. Without exposing sensitive information about the security details, the BIA officials said they had taken all measures to evade and discourage any such attempts.

The police said they had taken detailed security actions, but added that these measures had been in place after the Mumbai blasts.

Following the alert from the Central agency, a large number of police force has been deployed at the Hubli airport.

Hubli Deputy Commissioner Darpan Jain, though, declares that the alert was general in nature and not one specific to any particular region. But taking no chances, the Hubli-Dharwad police have made stronger vigil at the airport to insure fool-proof security arrangements to frustrate any untoward incidents.

One deputy commissioner of police, two assistant commissioners and one platoon both of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) and City Armed Police have been placed at the airport.

These measures apart, an anti-sabotage team and a dog squad have also been pressed into service to keep a careful check at the airport. Airport Controller M Basavaraj declined to divulge any information on security preparations at the airport and the possible threat of hijacking planes from here.

According to Hubli Dharwad Police Commissioner Ramachandra Rao, “There is a common security alert from the Centre and a rumors was also making rounds that a plane hijacked from a smaller airport can be used (in attacks), following which security was beefed up here.”

DC Darpan Jain said security measures were in place as per the procedure which was improved following an alert. Claiming that there was only a common alert, he sought to downplay the threat awareness.

“Following the recent terror attack in the Delhi High Court, general security preparations have been made at the airport,” he said.

Work on Bangalore airport 2nd runway to begin next year

Bangalore airport
The Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) planning to take up work on the second runway next year.

According to Mr G.V. Krishna Reddy, Chairman, GVK Group, which has 43 percent stake in BIAL, work on the second runway at the airport would be taken up next year, and work on the third runway will begin after that. He said this on the sidelines of the Regional Celebration of Civil Aviation Centenary at Bangalore on Monday.
BIAL operates the Bengaluru International Airport.

Work on the expansion of terminal building is underway at the airport. BIAL plans to expand the terminal from 72,000 sq.m to 1.34 lakh sq.m. Mr Reddy said that once that expansion work is done, work on the second runway will start.

Speaking at the event, Mr S.V. Ranganath, Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka, said that work on expansion of regional airports at Mangalore, Mysore and Hubli was also in full swing with the State Government contributing through allocation of land and water.

Other small airports that are coming up throughout the public-private partnership model in the State are at Gulbarga, Bidar, Shimoga and Hassan, he pointed out.

The Karnataka Government is considering having a separate aerospace policy for the State, said Mr Ranganath. “About 65 per cent of the aerospace work in the country is concerted in and around Bangalore.”

The State has also set up an aerospace special economic zone, where 41 industries have signed up to put up shop, said Mr Ranganath.

According to him, the State has been in the forefront still in expansion of air passenger traffic and development of infrastructure such as airports.

Bangalore international airport is the third biggest international airport in India. 

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