Bangalore International Airport thread [Archive] - Page 10

ramkan

May 25th, 2008, 02:31 AM

Teething trouble

By R. JAYAPRAKASH

Bangalore, May 24: Bengaluru International Airport, which handled 402 flights and 3,500 passengers in 17 hours since opening on Friday night, was hit by a shortage of ground-staff even before the first flight touched down.

In the peak hours following the facility’s opening, airport operator BIAL realised that there were not enough ground-staff to handle the aircraft. There were 400 trained ground crew, well short of the 800 personnel needed.

"Globe Ground India, a joint-venture between German airline Lufthansa and New Delhi-based Bird Group were to handle half of the aircraft between them and the rest were to be handled by the Airports Authority of India," said a senior official at the terminal. "But just before the opening of the airport, all airlines wanted only Globe Ground and the consortium accepted that. It was well past 1 am and that is when crunch started," he added. The ground crew and after some delay, 400 others who were supposed to come in for the next shift beginning at 11 am, were hurriedly ferried to the airport. This led to delays in the taxing of aircraft, baggage clearance and refuelling. "BIAL has only eight aerobridges and 42 ramps. The flight count is over 100 at night and airport officials got panicky as the schedule went haywire. But by morning, things were under control as another 400 trained personnel from other companies were brought in. Also, Jet withdrew its proposal and went back to AAI for ground handling," a source said.

Meanwhile, non-BIAL staff including those at the airport’s bookstores, cafeteria, coffee shops and fast-food joints, the parking attendants and the CISF jawans deployed for security were left without drinking water and had no access to the terminal restrooms. "This place isn’t for us. We have to walk a kilometre to use the toilets. There is no drinking water around and bottled water is priced at Rs 80 per litre," said a waiter at the airport’s Subway outlet. A manager at taxi operator Hertz said, "These are just teething problems and of course things won’t remain the same. It has only been a day and we hope things will be set right soon. But BIAL could have planned it well in advance as they had plenty of time."

==============================

BIA puts passengers on cloud nine

By S Praveen Dhaneshkar,DHNS,Bangalore:

Stray incidents were noticed like a few passengers haggling over parking fee with those manning the parking lot.

It appears that the infrastructure at Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) has lived up to all that it promised.
Though the teething problems did exist, it has wowed the passengers. As of now, the transition to the new airport looks smooth.

This reporter was among the passengers who took the Vayu Vajra bus from Kempe Gowda bus station to airport and enjoyed the journey. Co-passenger, M S Dwarkananth, resident of Govindrajnagar, who was heading to board a flight to Mumbai said: “It is very convenient, offers comfort and safety and rates are quite economical”.
The sweet tones on FM radio added to the pleasantness of the journey. Several other commuters too have given the thumbs up to this service. BMTC recorded 150 bookings through its Vayu Vajra reservation facility, while the home-to-bus stop taxi service also recorded 142 bookings. An hour later, the bus touched the airport. The ambience inside was quite breathtaking and the airport looked truly world class.

Sandeep, a software engineer, who resides at Whitefield, and arrived by Jetlite flight, had to wait for half an hour inside the flight as the connecting aerobridge was not in place. “As soon as we arrived, there was no airlines staff to assist us with our luggage. Small things like this have to be improved upon.” However, the infras-tructure and ambience was more than expected and it reminds us of the Changi airport in Singapore.”

ramkan

May 25th, 2008, 02:36 AM

After many a hiccup, B’lore airport takes off - The Times of India

Johnson T A
Posted online: Sunday, May 25, 2008 at 0002 hrs IST
Bangalore, May 24
Finally, Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) came of age on Saturday — around 42 km away from the old HAL airport. An Indian Airlines flight IC 957 to Singapore was the first to take off at 12.10 am from here.
Full of teething troubles, connectivity being one, the opening day also saw fair share of praise for the airport. Pilots like Captain Sunil Vashist appreciated the landing systems. “A weekend is not really a good time to judge a new airport since passenger pressure may be reduced. It will take another month for all systems to be working in tandem,” said a private airline official working at the airport.
BIA’s is not a spectacle that overwhelms at first sight; its true modernity lies inside the airport. Intended to be India’s first privately-developed and owned greenfield airport when first conceived in 1991, the airport’s journey so far has been tumultuous. For the promoters of the Rs 3,500-crore project, the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) — a consortium of Siemens, Zurich Airport, L&T, AAI and the Karnataka Government, particularly its German CEO Albert Brunner — the opening was euphoric. “I am the happiest man in India and it is a great moment for us. Everyone would be proud of this facility,” Brunner had said shortly after the High Court verdict on the airport opening on Friday evening.
The Bangalore project has seen others like Hyderabad and Kochi, which built legal and business agreement frameworks based on the Bangalore model, overtake it to the status of first private, greenfield airport. The Bangalore international airport project was first taken up in 1991 by a consortium led by the Tatas. They, however, walked out of the project following delays and political oneupmanship. The project has had two ground-breaking ceremonies — in 2002 when A B Vajpayee was the prime minister and in 2004 when S M Krishna was the chief minister.

THE UPS & DOWNS - The timelines
• Project conceived in 1991
• Tatas-led consortium walks out over delays
• May 1999: MoU signed between AAI, Karnataka
• June 1999: Expression of interest invited
• Nov 8, 2000: Bidders asked to submit detailed reports
• Oct 29, 2001: Seimens-led consortium selected by Karnataka
• Jan 23, 2002: Shareholders’ agreement signed
• Jan 2002: Vajpayee performs ground breaking
• Jan 2004: Another ground breaking by S M Krishna
• July 2004: Concession agreement signed between state, Centre, BIAL
• Dec 21, 2004: Final clearance given by Dharam Singh Govt
• Jan 20, 2005: State support agreement between state, BIAL
• Jan 20, 2005: Land lease agreement between state, BIAL
• March 11, 2005: EPC contracts with Seimens, L&T
• April 8, 2005: Operation and maintenance agreement between BIAL, Unique Zurich
• April 6, 2005: CNS/ATM agreement between BIAL, AAI
• April 30, 2005: Land lease deed signed by BIAL, KSIIDC
• June 10, 2005: Extension of shareholders’ agreement
• June 22, 2005: SBI guarantee to state support of Rs 350 crore
• June 23, 2005: Declaration of financial closure by ICICI Bank
• July 2, 2005: Construction commencement date
• March 7, 2008: First test flight from Bangalore HAL airport to BIAL
• March 30: First scheduled opening but postponed to May 11 on Aviation Ministry orders
• May 11: Opening rescheduled again to May 23 on the order of the Election Commission
• May 24: Airport opens

Babji

May 25th, 2008, 03:10 AM

After many a hiccup, B’lore airport takes off - The Times of India

Johnson T A
Posted online: Sunday, May 25, 2008 at 0002 hrs IST
Bangalore, May 24
... The Bangalore project has seen others like Hyderabad and Kochi, which built legal and business agreement frameworks based on the Bangalore model, overtake it to the status of first private, greenfield airport. The Bangalore international airport project was first taken up in 1991 by a consortium led by the Tatas. They, however, walked out of the project following delays and political oneupmanship. The project has had two ground-breaking ceremonies — in 2002 when A B Vajpayee was the prime minister and in 2004 when S M Krishna was the chief minister.

THE UPS & DOWNS - The timelines
• Project conceived in 1991
• Tatas-led consortium walks out over delays
• May 1999: MoU signed between AAI, Karnataka
• June 1999: Expression of interest invited
• Nov 8, 2000: Bidders asked to submit detailed reports
• Oct 29, 2001: Seimens-led consortium selected by Karnataka
• Jan 23, 2002: Shareholders’ agreement signed
• Jan 2002: Vajpayee performs ground breaking
• Jan 2004: Another ground breaking by S M Krishna
• July 2004: Concession agreement signed between state, Centre, BIAL
• Dec 21, 2004: Final clearance given by Dharam Singh Govt
• Jan 20, 2005: State support agreement between state, BIAL
• Jan 20, 2005: Land lease agreement between state, BIAL
• March 11, 2005: EPC contracts with Seimens, L&T
• April 8, 2005: Operation and maintenance agreement between BIAL, Unique Zurich
• April 6, 2005: CNS/ATM agreement between BIAL, AAI
• April 30, 2005: Land lease deed signed by BIAL, KSIIDC
• June 10, 2005: Extension of shareholders’ agreement
• June 22, 2005: SBI guarantee to state support of Rs 350 crore
• June 23, 2005: Declaration of financial closure by ICICI Bank
• July 2, 2005: Construction commencement date
• March 7, 2008: First test flight from Bangalore HAL airport to BIAL
• March 30: First scheduled opening but postponed to May 11 on Aviation Ministry orders
• May 11: Opening rescheduled again to May 23 on the order of the Election Commission
• May 24: Airport opens
nice update on timeline, @Ramkan.
I remember reading somewhere that the former head of Infosys chaired this project for some time.
on the whole, all is well that ends well :cheers:

dakshinapraja

May 25th, 2008, 04:50 AM

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/05/25/stories/2008052551070300.htm

world1

May 25th, 2008, 05:01 AM

And tht DC always wanna criticise.......y dont they compare with CSIA and delhi...????? v have better cleaner airport and y do u wanna compare with US airports...if u want 2 then plzzzz GO AND STAY THERE...!!!! or y didnt u people give ur ideas 2 the government???? (this is only for those people who complain,give negative toughts 2 these airports) if u wanna criticize....plzzz make a new thread and post it there!!!
CHEERS

IndiansUnite

May 25th, 2008, 05:15 AM

news video on the airport taken about a day before it handled the first flight:

equM-C9fTAM

The reporter mentions that BIAL is the only airport in the nation to have the inline baggage handling facility. That's false as the Calicut int. airport and Hyderabad Int. airport already have that up and running.

world1

May 25th, 2008, 05:18 AM

yes its true...and yes my bro went 2 the airport....he said everytin was smooth.....traffic, the trumpet flyover was awesome, the buses were comin like racecars,.....the airport was butiful on the whole....!!!!

mihir1310

May 25th, 2008, 05:34 AM

I think we are gonna see a recap of events that followed the opening of HIAL here for atleats a few weeks . There will be a lot of buzz about the new airport , its aesthetics , functional abilities [or the lack of it ?? ] etc etc. There will be spoilsports who will only focus on the negative aspects viz. confusion or inconvenience that MAY arise in the initial stages ,& some who will declare BIAL as the best thing that has ever happened . Also we expect to have our share ofa small number of certain sane minded opinions ,which acknowledging the problems shall also beleive that the same are temporary & shall be dealt with sooner effectively !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The bottomline is :- Its Business as usual & im loving it ;)

world1

May 25th, 2008, 05:40 AM

YESSSS........those people r JEALOUS tht v have GOOD LOKIN, FUNCTIONAL,CLEAN airport......so STOP COMPLAININ AND START TALKIN POSITIVE PEOPLE!!!!

dakshinapraja

May 25th, 2008, 05:56 AM

Here is a link detailing how popular Vayu Vajra buses are:

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/05/25/stories/2008052551020300.htm

Arul Murugan

May 25th, 2008, 07:15 AM

BIAL

http://dkn.dinakaran.co.in/2552008/DN_25-05-08_E1_07-02%20CNI.jpg

Tamildaily Dinakaran

mailabode

May 25th, 2008, 08:52 AM

Lack of facilities at the Bengaluru International Airport

From THE HINDU newspaper

Just a small counter for police at airport
K.V. Subramanya

BANGALORE: Lack of facilities at the Bengaluru International Airport at Devanahalli has caused inconvenience to the police who have been providing external security to the new airport, which began its operations on Saturday.

Though the State Government had sanctioned a full-fledged police station at the airport, proper and adequate place has not been allocated for the police station. The Bengaluru International Airport Ltd. (BIAL) authorities have provided a small counter, similar to a ticket-booking counter, for housing the police station.

The place is so congested that it cannot accommodate more than four people. Though two such counters were initially given to the police, one was later allocated to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) that provides internal security to the airport, sources in the police told The Hindu on Saturday.

In view of the protest by Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, which is demanding that the airport be named after Kempe Gowda, a huge posse of policemen has been posted at the airport. “As there is no place inside, we are sitting outside, braving the sun and rain. Fortunately, Larsen and Toubro (L&T) has arranged food for policemen,” a senior police officer on duty at the airport said.

Plan

According to the original plan, the BIAL was supposed to provide space inside the terminal building for housing the police station and the office of the Assistant Commissioner of Police. Now it has allocated a two-acre plot for constructing police stations, other offices and quarters for immigration staff, the sources said.

When contacted, Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration) B.G. Jyothiprakash Mirji said a temporary structure was being created outside the terminal building for housing the police station as construction of the new buildings would take time. “We have decided to take private buildings on rent in Devanahalli and Yelahanka for the newly-created offices of the Assistant Commissioners of Police and Deputy Commissioner of Police,” he said.

Mr. Mirji agreed that policemen posted at the airport and other newly-created police stations in the surrounding areas have been put to inconvenience as they have to commute from Bangalore.

- http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/25/stories/2008052554020500.htm

BIAL- please resolve all problems at the airport quickly and make us proud of the way its managed
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Deserted HAL AP

From TOI

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=TOICH/2008/05/25/7/Img/Pc0070800.jpg

Any way it was time the poor old thing got some rest.

It should be used for VVIPs, Politicians and for Chartered flights and Private airliners - am sure the users will get it renovated to latest standards for their personal use. The airforce can now have greater use of the airport as well.

Arul Murugan

May 25th, 2008, 09:07 AM

Deserted HAL AP

From TOI

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=TOICH/2008/05/25/7/Img/Pc0070800.jpg

ullasavadan

May 25th, 2008, 09:16 AM

(A report from Deccan Herald)

It appears that the infrastructure at Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) has lived up to all that it promised.

Though the teething problems did exist, it has wowed the passengers. As of now, the transition to the new airport looks smooth.

This reporter was among the passengers who took the Vayu Vajra bus from Kempe Gowda bus station to airport and enjoyed the journey. Co-passenger, M S Dwarkananth, resident of Govindrajnagar, who was heading to board a flight to Mumbai said: “It is very convenient, offers comfort and safety and rates are quite economical”.

The sweet tones on FM radio added to the pleasantness of the journey. Several other commuters too have given the thumbs up to this service. BMTC recorded 150 bookings through its Vayu Vajra reservation facility, while the home-to-bus stop taxi service also recorded 142 bookings. An hour later, the bus touched the airport. The ambience inside was quite breathtaking and the airport looked truly world class.

Sandeep, a software engineer, who resides at Whitefield, and arrived by Jetlite flight, had to wait for half an hour inside the flight as the connecting aerobridge was not in place. “As soon as we arrived, there was no airlines staff to assist us with our luggage. Small things like this have to be improved upon.” However, the infras-tructure and ambience was more than expected and it reminds us of the Changi airport in Singapore.”

Stray incidents were noticed like a few passengers haggling over parking fee with those manning the parking lot.

Kudos to Mr. Brunner and team and many thanks for giving Bengaluru a truly World Class Airport. The initial reports indicate that the infrastructure is excellent and is definitely a landmark for Bengaluru. I salute Mr. Brunner and his team for delivering the promise in-time and as promised. Related infrastructure problem like roads is none of their problem and they cannot be blamed.

Congrats BIAL and we really appreciate and applaud your efforts. Hats off to you all. We are proud of you.

mailabode

May 25th, 2008, 10:05 AM

Online edition of The Hindu
Sunday, May 25, 2008

Air travellers give the thumbs up for Vayu Vajra
Anil Kumar Sastry

Over 9,000 people used the service since Friday evening
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BMTC operated 248 trips
Poor response to Suvarna (non-AC) services
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Convenient: A file picture of Vayu Vajra bus launched by the BMTC for travellers going to the international airport.

BANGALORE: It appeared that better sense prevailed on many air passengers who chose the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s Vayu Vajra (Volvo) buses to reach the newly opened Bengaluru International Airport or return home from the airport.

Apart from the high cost involved in hiring a taxi, traffic congestion and waste of resources made them to hop on these red beauties. More than 9,000 people used the Vayu Vajra service, plying on nine different routes since Friday evening till Saturday night in the 248 trips that the BMTC operated.

This correspondent took a Vayu Vajra from Kempe Gowda Bus Station (KBS) at 3.40 p.m., which reached BIA at 4.35 p.m., to gauge the public response and the performance of the new service. Many had left home much early as they did not know the exact time that would be taken to reach BIA from the city.

For Vandit Goyal, a student of R.V. Engineering College on Mysore Road, travelling by bus meant saving for himself as well as for society. Mr. Goyal used to pay Rs. 400 for an auto to reach HAL airport earlier. However, he paid just Rs. 150 for the autorickshaw and Rs. 100 for the bus.

Sengottu Velanfrom Chennai was on his way to Hyderabad. He stayed at Cantonment and came to KBS by autorickshaw. Mr. Velan said by paying Rs. 100, he could travel in comfort in the air-conditioned bus. S. Satya, a resident of Hanumanthanagar was on a holiday trip to Singapore with his wife and daughter.

Though his flight was at 9 p.m., he left early just to be on the safe side. “While I paid Rs. 300 for bus and Rs. 50 for autorickshaw to reach BIA, I would have paid not less than Rs. 800 had I hired a taxi,” he noted.

The bus service was helpful for Sharat Kanvy, a software engineer from Bangalore who has now shifted to Hyderabad.

Taking back his wife and son to Hyderabad, Mr. Kanvy said the service was cheaper and comfortable.

At the airport, B.K. Subba Rao, a retired MICO engineer, G.R. Nagabhushan, a retired scientist, and his wife Suujaya were inspecting the new service.

They had come in a car as it was the first time. They said that next time they would take Vayu Vajra.

Back from the airport, Amit Garg, chief engineer with Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd., Bhubaneswar, was in Vayu Vajra. “My wife told me about this service and I am happy with it,” he said.

However, there were not many takers for BMTC’s Suvarna (non air-conditioned) services.

They should have more Vayu Vajras i feel

mailabode

May 25th, 2008, 10:13 AM

Kudos to Mr. Brunner and team and many thanks for giving Bengaluru a truly World Class Airport. The initial reports indicate that the infrastructure is excellent and is definitely a landmark for Bengaluru. I salute Mr. Brunner and his team for delivering the promise in-time and as promised. Related infrastructure problem like roads is none of their problem and they cannot be blamed.

Congrats BIAL and we really appreciate and applaud your efforts. Hats off to you all. We are proud of you.

Join you in congratulating Mr Brunner. Pray he is able to run the airport as efficiently as he envisaged.

Anand

May 25th, 2008, 10:31 AM

.......Regarding infrastructure

In economic terms I see Bangalore as a booming city and no doubt a "jewel" for Karnataka and for rest of India. Being a Keralite, I am also very proud that our neighbourhood state and its
undertaking will provide more job opportunities for job seekers which is a very positive sign.

Election in the state and rivalry like in Kerala is not important now, but to increase the infrastructure of the premises and move with a positive approach. After all, this will
reward in the future.

genialgiant

May 25th, 2008, 10:46 AM

http://anuradhagoyal.blogspot.com/2008/05/day-1-at-bangalore-international.html

Sunday, May 25, 2008
Day 1 at Bangalore International Airport

I was to land in Bangalore on 24th April morning 8:45 AM, and this turned out to be the exact date on which Bangalore’s new international airport was to be open its operations. To be honest I was sincerely hoping that I land at the old airport as old airport is hop. Skip and jump from my place. And the closer you were to the old Bangalore, the farther you are from the new airport in Devanahalli. But now that I have landed at BIAL on day 1 and comfortably back, it feels good to be a part of the history. There have been so many debates, arguments, views and controversies around opening of BIAL that I want to share the experience of being there on Day 1.

As we were landing at 8:30 AM on Saturday morning, all those who were returning home, wanted to peep out and have a glimpse of the new airport from the top. While landing at HAL, I could always see my apartment complex, and a whole lot of other identifiable landmarks, at BIAL, it was a vast empty space all around and then there were two air strips in the middle of nowhere. First look at airport from the plane window did not give a great impression, it looked like a building still under construction. It is definitely much bigger and better than HAL, but is it big enough to take care of the potential air traffic of Bangalore in coming years, I am not sure. As we landed through an aerobridge, which used to be a rarity at HAL, it felt nice to go through an absolutely new aerobridge still to be adorned with advertisements or any other kind of messages or notices. As we walked out, the place looked little deserted, but none the less everyone carried a curious look on their faces as they walked towards the immigration counters. The counters look ported from the old airport, not very different and I think could have been better designed. They look like counters in old time banks and are situated too close to each other. The yellow line to separate the queue and the counters is yet to be drawn. The no of counters was good enough to clear most passengers within 5-6 mins. I spoke to the immigration officer who was excited to be at the new airport. When I asked him is he happy about being in the new facility he said’ Its day 1 lets see how it goes’.

Toilets were a big disappointment. Less than 9 hours of operations and toilets were dirty, filthy and it appeared that they had not been cleaned at all for last 9 hours. The escalator for coming down was not working, but there were people attending to it and it started working in about 30 mins or so. Baggage carousels are well designed, a lot of people can stand by them and collect their baggage. While immigration was finished in 5 mins, we had to wait good one hour before the carousel started moving, which everyone applauded by loud clapping. I was lucky to get my baggage very fast after it started moving. While waiting for the baggage, I moved around to see the airport and strolled around in few retail outlets, most of which were still in the setup mode and were fixing things. The prices mentioned were in dollars and I wonder why.

The whole airport carries a resemblance to Infosys campus, specially the wash rooms. Similar designs and materials used, probably because of the Mr Narayana Murthy being at the helm of affairs at both places…There was a huge board saying ‘I came here First’ with the lovely BIAL logo, open to everyone to sign on it. It felt great to sign on it. If you happen to see it, look out for my signature right on I.

As I came out of the airport, the view outside was almost similar to the one at HAL, loads and loads of taxi guys with placards waiting for their customers. It is when you go past them that you are able to see the other options to get back home. Thanks to very active association of my apartment complex, I knew that I have to take the electronic city bus to reach home. Volvo bus station is about 200-300 mts from the arrival gate. You can take the trolley right up to the bus. Bus conductor helped me load the luggage on the bus. The buses are well designed to carry lots of luggage and can seat 31 persons. Conductor had a small machine around his neck which he used to issue tickets. Ticket to Sarjapur road junction on ORR costs Rs 150/-. You can also take taxis, which are flat priced at Rs 15/- per km. For most of us living in south Bangalore I guess bus is a better option than taxis, specially for women traveling alone as its one long stretch of lonely road. The bus was comfortable and it took me 1 hour and 20 mins to cover approx 50 kms of distance. It was a Saturday, so it may take a little longer on weekdays and during peak hours.

I think Volvo buses are going to be a huge hit, provided there are enough of them. With only 31 person capacity, we would need a lot of them. Buses are a good option to come back from airport, but to go there buses may end up serving only those who board it from the starting point. This would mean we need many more starting points or routes for the buses. Another idea may be exploring Taxi pooling to and from huge apartment complexes, organizations and hotels. This can reduce pressure on everything: roads, environment and pockets.

In my opinion it would take another 3-4 months by the time everything smoothens up and the airport wears its planned swanky look. Overall it was a nice experience to be there on Day 1, far better than what most newspapers make it out to be.

BLRBNE

May 25th, 2008, 11:12 AM

Hello all,

This is my first message on the forum.. though I have been following the threads regularly. First of all, congratulations to BIAL for its launch. Being a proud bengaluru boy, I am glad that we have got a beautiful airport. Hope they maintain it well. Finally, I want to thank all those who help people like us (who are away from home) by keeping us updated with snaps and regular updates from the scene of action. It provides us all with much required first hand updates than just relying on the good old media.

I might be flying in to bangalore soon and can't wait to get a first hand feel of the new airport. Also, I shall try to take some snaps and upload the same.

Thanks to everyone for their time and efforts and do keep it happening!

Cheers!:)

mailabode

May 25th, 2008, 12:04 PM

Terminal 5

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kp3bNlBi-Iw

Not so bad at BIA

rkramesh

May 25th, 2008, 01:56 PM

mailabode

May 25th, 2008, 03:04 PM

rkramesh

May 25th, 2008, 03:08 PM

Bandwidth Limit Exceeded
The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to the site owner reaching his/her bandwidth limit. Please try again later.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Apache/1.3.39 Server at www.bialairport.com Port 80

Hey try this mailabode, http://www.bengaluruairport.com/portal/page/portal/BIAL_PageGroup/BIAL_HOME whihc is in itself not updated even till this moment...

I think the older one www.bialairport.com is more for the Company BIAL than the airport itself. I too got the same message...

mailabode

May 25th, 2008, 03:23 PM

noobntleygik

May 25th, 2008, 03:28 PM

Hey try this mailabode, http://www.bengaluruairport.com/portal/page/portal/BIAL_PageGroup/BIAL_HOME whihc is in itself not updated even till this moment...

I think the older one www.bialairport.com is more for the Company BIAL than the airport itself. I too got the same message...

I just called up the airport and this woman told me the live flight information will be updated in a *few days* as they are facing some problems....which could mean technical problems or shortage of manpower(i hope not)...and then i asked her if it will be done in a week and she seemed confident...so you guys can take ur fingers off the refresh button:lol:

btw...looking at the night shots i though the day shots wouldnt look as nice but BIA never fails to surprise me...:banana:...so at this point i can conclusively say that BIA is definitely world class at least on the aesthetics front...

mailabode

May 25th, 2008, 03:40 PM

Hello BLRBNE - looking forward to your constructive participation and those impending snaps and user report of BIAL...

Welcome to this Discussion thread ...:)

And mailabode - thanks for that funny video - So far I'd say BIA's opening has actually been quite smooth and not anywhere close to Heathrow T5, Hong Kong's Chep Lap Kok, Seoul's Incheon or even HIAL's KLM drama...

But hope all these issues like dirty loos, a functional website, working conveyors, escalators etc and other systems are streamlined tand issues briskly resolved...

Give them 2 weeks to sort things out and then a citizens group from B'lore could get in touch with BIAL about the problems and if things dont go as they promise, then give them more time and get in touch again- hopefully they'll set things right sooner than later. Dirty Loos etc- the CEO must ensure there are systems in place to have these facilities fuctioning smoothly and properly - right now (if the passenger's report is to be believed) the CEO doesnt seem to be aware of these small but very important things. Its not just shortage of staff, but shortage of WELL TRAINED STAFF- every function needs proper training.

ramkan

May 25th, 2008, 04:15 PM

BIAL shall look into outsourcing options of non-critical functions like HIAL did...

IndiansUnite

May 25th, 2008, 08:17 PM

Here's a small news video showing the first plane (AI) landing and taxiing:

NoOwEO9SseM

Suncity

May 25th, 2008, 10:19 PM

Some first photos

copyright Vijay

http://picasaweb.google.com/vijay.mistry.nsc/Newbglrairport240508

Suncity

May 25th, 2008, 10:26 PM

Some photos from the above link

1
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/6193/blrairport16ex0.jpg

2
http://img389.imageshack.us/img389/9376/blrairportvijay2eg9.jpg

3
http://img389.imageshack.us/img389/2908/blrairport18pi4.jpg

4
http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/7724/blrairport14se1.jpg

5
http://img389.imageshack.us/img389/3120/blrairport8dm8.jpg

6
http://img389.imageshack.us/img389/2965/blrairport11iz3.jpg

rkramesh

May 25th, 2008, 11:04 PM

^^ Thanks Suncity for the link - Some more from the same link thanks to Vijay for the nice photos
http://lh4.ggpht.com/vijay.mistry.nsc/SDhhGtttfzI/AAAAAAAABgU/E4T5ktw3iu0/24052008172524.jpg?
http://lh3.ggpht.com/vijay.mistry.nsc/SDhhCdttfxI/AAAAAAAABgE/HEcqKLhV47w/24052008172458.jpg?
Gleaming and Brand Spanking New

[img]http://lh5.ggpht.com/vijay.mistry.nsc/SDhfE9tte9I/AAAAAAAABZc/EJuVnyCsHsc/24052008162749.jpg?img]
http://lh3.ggpht.com/vijay.mistry.nsc/SDhhCdttfxI/AAAAAAAABgE/HEcqKLhV47w/24052008172458.jpg?
Love the way itis airy and sun drenched - They should have more greenery here and there though. - Like a green hanging wall and some water feature - it will go so well with the Garden City Theme...

http://lh5.ggpht.com/vijay.mistry.nsc/SDhhc9ttf9I/AAAAAAAABhk/7b-kNwut-0g/24052008173210.jpg?
Looks like they are expanding the remote parking bays here.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/vijay.mistry.nsc/SDhhc9ttf9I/AAAAAAAABhk/7b-kNwut-0g/24052008173210.jpg?
Comfy Vayu Vajras?

http://lh4.ggpht.com/vijay.mistry.nsc/SDhiRtttgWI/AAAAAAAABkw/hL9_dV_Aigw/24052008175123.jpg?
Or are these Volvos remote bay Tarmac ferries?

http://lh5.ggpht.com/vijay.mistry.nsc/SDhiV9ttgYI/AAAAAAAABlA/SnmKAoh9s4o/24052008175250.jpg?
Didnt know airlines were doing their own ground support in Bluru - I thought it was Bobba Menzies n AI SATS - if so what are these farm tractors doing here? Hmmm

http://lh6.ggpht.com/vijay.mistry.nsc/SDhicNttgbI/AAAAAAAABlY/C6Ke2vkaLGg/24052008175456.jpg?
The air stairs are covered all the way till the door - Good thing that covered landing.

mailabode

May 26th, 2008, 12:16 AM

Some first photos

copyright Vijay

http://picasaweb.google.com/vijay.mistry.nsc/Newbglrairport240508

Seen all the pictures Suncity- thanks for posting them.
There seems to be too much sunlight and glare in many areas inside the Terminal buiding. I wish they had some control mechanism for that.

Folks and Mr Brunner and BIAL:
From the pics i see that the size of the terminal is just about ok- ideally i reckon it should be 20 percent bigger RIGHT NOW.
However it could have been a lot bigger even for this phase. Here's why i think so:
India has a much higher density of population than China etc and than almost all other nations, a growing percentage of middle class,..., and potentially more chances of overcrowding in the near future at any given airport than probably any other country. Look how crowded it is in any big Indian airport(Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai etc) and now here in BIAL from the pictures(almost full). So in my opinion we need much bigger terminal buildings than conventional wisdom would suggest - well even China's new terminal buildings are much much bigger than conventional standards and capable of handling even an explosion in passenger traffic(of course unlike us they have a lot more money to invest straight away into a bigger project instead of expanding in smaller stages).
In my opinion with infrastructure in place Bangalore has unlimited potential for the next 2 decades due to variety of factors which i will not enumerate here.
For the short term Mr Brunner(or BIAL - whoever is deciding authority), better start expanding the current terminal building IMMEDIATELY. For the long term(future terminals) they need to plan differently. Plan bigger- big means massive. I reiterate again here that India's and specially Banglore's potential is simply massive (wrt to passenger traffic in this instance). Its like a stock that keeps rising and rising in value with no hint of a significant fall for a couple of decades.
For capacity studies in India i feel conventional systems alone arent enough - a lot of unconventional factors need to be taken into consideration even in the current economic climate(more variables need to go into the system employed by Lufthansa(who did the study) than European standards advocate)- that being the case imagine what it will be like if privatisation is carried out on a massive scale - thats explosive growth at least for 15 more years- go with the flow pls- and it will turn out to be a much bigger win-win. The West and Far East like Japan, Korea etc have technological superiority than most other countries and this will be the case for quite a while. Use their technology and expertise, but for size considerations etc etc take China, Thailand, Malaysia etc as an example than Europe - these countries have at the least similar population demographics.
Also BIAL you need to start thinking more in absolute terms and not just relative terms - and this entails far better research.
Please have a complete rethink Mr Brunner and BIAL - dont go just by conventional estimates- it will not work. Make everything bigger like is/was the norm in the USA - you wont burn your fingers (only in one or two developing countries like India and only once in a century like in the current time will you get such a safe investment and at the same time afford to be really daring and adventurous and highly ambitious)- anyway you have nothing to lose but everything to gain businesswise- so whats the problem?. You need to be more sagacious, proactive, daring & imaginative.

ramkan

May 26th, 2008, 12:59 AM

Great photos... The terminal already looks crowded....

noobntleygik

May 26th, 2008, 01:00 AM

@mailabode... spot on...i would also add that another reason to have bigger terminals is when china becomes a superpower it will have more population than all the developed nations put together...even brazil and russia would have developed so they have another 300 million people between them(another usa in population)...so even international traffic to india will explode in a decade...

ramkan

May 26th, 2008, 01:01 AM

Looks like AI/IA would be the only airline that would end up using SATS airside service.. Just shows how much AI's operations are valued in the industry.

noobntleygik

May 26th, 2008, 01:06 AM

@mailabode...this is what i read in the chennai airport thread ROFL...the *planning commission*...oh the irony...

Official sources told Business Line that the pre-PIB meeting for Chennai airport, which was earlier scheduled for May 12, was put off after the Ministry of Finance and Planning Commission sought more time.
‘Constant objections’

The Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Praful Patel, also raised the issue in a letter to the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, pointing out that it was “the constant objections” on the size and scale of the project being raised by the Commission that were responsible for the delay in the project.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has argued that it has drawn up plans for the airport keeping in mind the need of the country over the next two decades.

mailabode

May 26th, 2008, 01:31 AM

@mailabode...this is what i read in the chennai airport thread ROFL...the *planning commission*...oh the irony...

Thanks for the post Noobntley. Ok.
As far as BIA is concerned - the Govt knew about capacity problems when granting sanctions in 2005. Am not sure BIAL did the survey to determine what the capacity should be- it was a Govt appointed organization- and well before contracts were invited- maybe Lufthansa in this case. And the project got dragged and meanwhile reforms changed the business landscape and resulted in increased passenger traffic by leaps and bounds. Who was to take the new scenario into account?- of course the Govt(since there is no other organization in India to do this) and it was they who initated the process.
HIAL's case is different- a survey was done, capacity determined, and luckily the project was started almost immediately after and proceeded without too much bureaucratic hassles and hence finished much better and withoit too many problems- conceived an finished in not a lot more than 3 years- and all under 1 chief minister who was proactive and actively involved and worked for the success of the project. Dealing with the Gowdas is a nightmare - if not for the Gowdas BIAL would have had only manageable problems.
The Govt had earlier blamed BIAL for capacity problems forgetting that they had the greatest share of blame in this bungle. My point was now BIAL has control and can make amends at least from now on and am sure they are capable.

noobntleygik

May 26th, 2008, 01:58 AM

yes im confident BIAL wont be conservative in their estimates for the new terminal...if only some of our babus shared the optimism...every ugly 2 lane flyover that is popping up all over bangalore tells me otherwise...

krinix

May 26th, 2008, 04:10 AM

Back to the drawing board Mr Brunner. Ive seen couple of pics and its crowded.
I guess with the vacations ending, there is a rush to get back/out of the city.
If this is the case everyday then its time to expand right away.
Hopefully this should reduce in June.

genialgiant

May 26th, 2008, 06:39 AM

http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com/2008/05/has-bial-lied-to-bangalore.html

genialgiant

May 26th, 2008, 06:59 AM

http://www.asterpix.com/console/?avi=10286631
http://www.asterpix.com/console/?avi=10262831
http://www.asterpix.com/console/?avi=10257421

genialgiant

May 26th, 2008, 07:06 AM

http://www.shyiam.com/archives/128

genialgiant

May 26th, 2008, 07:11 AM

http://udhay.livejournal.com/33595.html

ramkan

May 26th, 2008, 07:17 AM

genialgiant

May 26th, 2008, 07:20 AM

The baggage handling is done by two agencies selected and given the contract by BIAL. It's perfectly fair to blame BIAL for any inefficiency on the part of those agencies.

barrykul

May 26th, 2008, 07:27 AM

The flood of people shows why BIAL is still under planned for sizing of Indian Civil Aviation needs. Praful Patel, Civil aviation minister had intervened initially with the original BIAL terminal plan and upped up the the building size. If that had not been done, BIAL would have been truly cramped a la HAL cowshed. Time for everyone to think big and plan decades out. The number of air travelers is bound to jump up by leaps and bounds, considering the explosive growth of the country. Time to go for super size, multiple terminals, 2+ runways, multiple roads leading to/from airport, etc, etc.

As for the planning commission, tis time to retire this perversion of communist thinking. They deal with 5 yr plans based on measly 5-6% growth, none of them can think beyond those constraints. All such plans are a joke. None of the plans have been realized, they always under perform. Who would have predicted the Telecom boom in India, and by all measures Indian telecom is one of the sterling paradigms of how best not to plan using 5 yr models. What everyone is failing to realize is that in a few decades India is perhaps going to dominate the world and could potentially be a #1 or #2. Not surprising, when you read history of India and its domination of world GDP for centuries in the past 2000 yrs.

genialgiant

May 26th, 2008, 07:41 AM

http://flickr.com/photos/13879352@N07/sets/72157605249857719/

zenith_suv

May 26th, 2008, 07:44 AM

Lets give them around a month or so to streamline the process and get people familiar with certain new systems at BIAL , if the congestion still does not recde at BIAL then it's time for some pretty darn serious brain storming.

sudheeshnairs

May 26th, 2008, 07:49 AM

Yesterday late evening went to BIAL as a visitor along with fellow former robin_a_p and our better halves.

The overall impression I got is very good; now it is take off time for Bangalore.

We have seen many opinions voiced here vouching for HAL Airport. I was a patron of HAL for the last two years, and I had taken my apartment near HAL so that I can reach the airport in 10 minutes.

Now having experienced BIAL, even though from outside and the drive, I feel it as a welcome relief.

No more chaos like that used to be at Airport Road, with everybody fighting for space and to get in and out of Airport premises. It is a smooth drive from Hebbal flyover to Trumpet Interchange long the six lane NH 7. Only some three or so signals enroute and you can cruise at 80-100kmph. From Trumpet interchange, it becomes more orderly and fast through the four lane access road to Airport terminal, which is about 4.5 km away. Landscaping being done along the road. Good enough to cruise at 100 kmph, and no auto rickshaws allowed. MERU and Easycab logan taxis looks good.

Lot of parking space with parking charges starting from Rs. 40 for 2 hours.

BMTC’s Vayu Vajra services are highly appreciated, good schedules, always full, seems a service every 15 minutes.

Our drive from HAL to BIAL had taken 1 hour 15 minutes. From Hebbal, it is just 20-30 minutes to reach BIAL.

Hope to post the photos soon which I had taken with my mobile cam.

I feel it is better to forget about HAL Airport, let’s look forward to a better Bangalore.

genialgiant

May 26th, 2008, 07:51 AM

http://madmikemagee.wordpress.com/2008/05/26/bangalore-bial-is-a-breeze-at-1am-in-the-morning/

genialgiant

May 26th, 2008, 07:57 AM

More photos here
http://airlinersindia.s4.bizhat.com/airlinersindia-ftopic4097-0-asc-40.html

zenith_suv

May 26th, 2008, 08:05 AM

Please try and put all the links in one post and if possible also mention what it is about - makes it easier for the readers.

himmat113

May 26th, 2008, 08:07 AM

I arrived from DEL yesterday. Here are some pics I took at BIAL.

View of the terminal just after touch down.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2066/2522884251_0d057206ee.jpg

9W B738.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2165/2523707660_2d4d48359b.jpg

View of the apron.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2329/2522886437_9308eb3143.jpg

SG B738

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3028/2522885869_0265684289.jpg

Indigo A320.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2203/2522883727_6a9a2e364f.jpg

Deccan ATR 72

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3039/2522884715_0aee228ce7.jpg

himmat113

May 26th, 2008, 08:08 AM

Pictures of the arrival area.

1. Passage leading to baggage claim area.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3192/2523708220_36f2c66336.jpg

2. Baggage claim area.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/2523711202_4e0c4c7f71.jpg

3. Baggage claim.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2135/2523709598_70a68e8b46.jpg

4. Coffe Shop.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2388/2522891093_09ff7192af.jpg

5. Gift shop.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2200/2522892085_7fa1c90dca.jpg

zenith_suv

May 26th, 2008, 08:10 AM

gr8 pictures himmat , nice job !!

mailabode

May 26th, 2008, 10:12 AM

himmat113

May 26th, 2008, 10:18 AM

gr8 pictures himmat , nice job !!

Thank you!:)

genialgiant

May 26th, 2008, 10:42 AM

I hold no brief for Mr. Devesh Agarwal or whoever else. I am just posting whatever BIAL related content I am finding from other sources for the benefit of readers here. I am all for BIAL succeeding and not to be held ransom by keeping HAL open. Having said that, BIAL has to be held to a standard that is in line with the so-called Swiss experience and worthy of our city and the money that is spent on the project. We don't want an overcrowded, filthy, non-functioning city bus stand like international airport terminal. Especially given the kind of UDF that will be collected. And I don't think some of the things we have been hearing and seeing over the past 2-3 days lead me to repose that kind of trust in BIAL

mailabode

May 26th, 2008, 10:53 AM

krinix

May 26th, 2008, 11:08 AM

Well we just need to ignore such people.

genialgiant

May 26th, 2008, 11:24 AM

http://gkamesh.wordpress.com/2008/05/26/the-new-bengaluru-airport/

Seems like everything from the check-in counters to wash rooms are still designed for just half the capacity.

genialgiant

May 26th, 2008, 11:25 AM

http://worldthrumyeyes.wordpress.com/2008/05/26/welcome-to-the-new-airport-of-bengaluru-devanahalli/

Some more photos

kronik

May 26th, 2008, 11:40 AM

BIAL

http://dkn.dinakaran.co.in/2552008/DN_25-05-08_E1_07-02%20CNI.jpg

Tamildaily Dinakaran

wow, never seen this before. A giant Louis Vuitton suitcase!

Great pictures everyone, and BIAL needs to get into phase two right away, it looks overcrowded already!

himmat113

May 26th, 2008, 12:15 PM

I reached BIAL on a Spice Jet flight from Delhi this Sunday. I was satisfied with all the facilities except the wash room. The wash room in arrivals area is extremely small for a airport of this size.

mailabode

May 26th, 2008, 01:30 PM

jammy97

May 26th, 2008, 01:45 PM

Short term fixes to prevent 'Overcrowding in Terminal'.

BIAL:

1)At least as a short term fix - minimise the time a passenger needs to spend inside the terminal building possibly by half- this decreases the crowding by half - do whatever it takes to achieve that.

2)People will come in early because they are nervous because of bad connectivity- why not provide some sort of temporary resting place with amenities(and makeshift shops) outside the terminal building for them as a short term fix - and permanenty a well planned simple structure outside terminal for the same purpose ?.

To add to the short term measures, BIAL could also introduce check in facilities in other places. BIAL was planning to take this up alongside the high speed rail link from MG road. But, since BMTC has started services from several points, they could still go ahead with the option.

http://gkamesh.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/bial-crowds.jpg
source: http://gkamesh.wordpress.com/2008/05...aluru-airport/

Its dissappointing to see the overcrowding already. Its about time that BIAL acts quickly on its next phase. However, the current terminal expansion still won't have the vertical seperation (as told by BIAL architect to us on the Praja trip to BIAL). We can only hope for one during the next terminal (whenever that is...:ohno:)

mailabode

May 26th, 2008, 02:25 PM

To add to the short term measures, BIAL could also introduce check in facilities in other places. BIAL was planning to take this up alongside the high speed rail link from MG road. But, since BMTC has started services from several points, they could still go ahead with the option.

......................

Its dissappointing to see the overcrowding already. Its about time that BIAL acts quickly on its next phase. However, the current terminal expansion still won't have the vertical seperation (as told by BIAL architect to us on the Praja trip to BIAL). We can only hope for one during the next terminal (whenever that is...:ohno:)

Yes Jammy, i have heard that before and remember that the architect said there wont be vertical separation in expansion of current phase. Thats why i said "MAYBE they can". But on second thoughts it will be too messy because the Check-Ins strcutures are already fully in place in the ground floor.
1) So they need to do start the Expansion of this terminal NOW and complete in 6 months- they need the drive for that.
And the distance between the entrance and check-in counters is not suffcient, and the depth needs to increase by 30 to 40 % to accommodate queues and allow free passage for people to walk across. And they have to e nsure this is implemented in the extended terminal- or else it will be useless. This means the extension needs to have greater depth overall than current building (not just for the checkin area, but all other areas as well- like 'departure gates waiting area etc' which appear to be crowded) - now that will be a big redesign- and the front side of the extended terminal building will move forward and cannot be in line with front side of existing construction or have the back side of extension needs to be extended backwards and cannot be in line with back side of existing building or build one more floor or sign a foolproof legal agreement where HAL continues for few more months and will be certainly be shut down when you have completed constructing the redesign where the entire first phase will move forward by 30 percent or continue with existing 1st phase plan but radically redesign terminal 2 on the other side adjacent to runway number 2 to 30 million capacity and start construction right away and construct an underground magnetic rail system between the 2 terminals like in Zurich Terminal E and complete this in double quick time. Logically the city(airport) that gives you the best rate of return on investment deserves the best infrastructure aint it- and logically its not supposed to be based relatively on past conditions but based absolutely on what the needs of the future are.
2) They need to start implementing Phase 2 rightaway and in parallel with expansion of current terminal.

If they dont do 1) & 2) and as a result if it turns out to be the same old failure story - then they could end up being in deep deep trouble, and for their own sakes at least i hope they do it.
If they(BIA) happen to slow down Bangalore's growth and if this is evinced in a year, then even the courts will not support them- i hope they take note. The money they spend on the airport is nothing compared to Bangalore's growth potential- i mean if they dont deliver in a year- then they can be compensated and on their way out. They need to live and breathe Bangalore in order to understand what Bangalore needs. Let them not let down the very public who supported them and who still support them now - or the same public who patronize them now will end up turning against them in a year.
I sincerely hope they take note.

Anyway for now install a structure outside terminal to accommodate people who come in early with shops, washrooms- it will serve its purpose even for the long term.

A Swiss engineer conceptualized and created the Nilgiri Mountain Railway almost all by himself and local help(without too much British help- contarary to what the cunning British say) in the face of all odds and spending a good many years for that- to create an engineering marvel of that time and which is still working today. I hope the Swiss and Germans dont spoil that image. Think much bigger than Zurich airport - if you understand the tremendous potential you are dealing with.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jammy, am not sure if they can make checkin counters anywhere else but in terminal building.

genialgiant

May 26th, 2008, 03:06 PM

http://yakovfain.javadevelopersjournal.com/visiting_india_part_6_the_airport_operating_on_a_walkieta.htm

Experience of an international visitor

genialgiant

May 26th, 2008, 04:29 PM

The new airport at Bangalore isn’t as pretty as the one at Hyderabad. It was functional, but barely. Most shops were empty of stock, the WiFi didn’t work, and everything seemed to happen 15-30 minutes behind schedule. The road from the city to the airport was… well, it was a typical Indian highway. Leave plenty of time….

http://geoffarnold.com/?p=2023

india

May 26th, 2008, 04:46 PM

http://yakovfain.javadevelopersjournal.com/visiting_india_part_6_the_airport_operating_on_a_walkieta.htm

Experience of an international visitor

:lol:! That's funny and unfortunate at the same time. Anyway, it isn't nearly as bad as passenger experiences at Heathrow T5. Let's give BIA some time to tie up all those loose ends, eh?

ramkan

May 26th, 2008, 04:55 PM

Get ready guys for one more BIAL basher.

DC’s fatter, brighter and enters Bengaluru

Deccan Chronicle breaks a new frontier today with the launch of our edition in Bengaluru. To celebrate this, we bring you a double dhamaka, DC style. We have increased the number of pages and we have redone our look. You will find us brighter, the stories sharper, the pictures bigger, all packaged in an attractive layout. You’ll find more sections in the newspages in the main edition and more features in the Tab, Hyderabad Chronicle. You cannot expect anything less from the leading English newspaper in Andhra Pradesh and India’s fourth largest daily.

Silicon_Valley

May 26th, 2008, 05:08 PM

mailabode

May 26th, 2008, 05:46 PM

1) So they need to do start the Expansion of this terminal NOW and complete in 6 months- they need the drive for that.
And the distance between the entrance and check-in counters is not suffcient, and the depth needs to increase by 30 to 40 % to accommodate queues and allow free passage for people to walk across. And they have to ensure this is implemented in the extended terminal-or- else it will be useless. This means the extension needs to have greater depth overall than current building (not just for the checkin area, but all other areas as well- like 'departure gates waiting area etc' which appear to be crowded) - now that will be a redesign- and the front boundary/wall of the extended terminal building will move forward and cannot be in line with front side of existing building unless they decide to move the old one also forward -or- the back side of extension needs to be extended further backwards than in existing plan -or- build one more floor of terminal building -or- sign a foolproof legal agreement where HAL continues for few more months and will be certainly be shut down when you have completed constructing the redesign where the entire terminal building front wall will move forward by 30 percent -or- continue with existing 1st phase plan but radically redesign terminal 2 on the other side adjacent to runway number 2 to 30 million capacity and start construction right away and construct an underground magnetic rail system between the 2 terminals like in Zurich Terminal E and complete this in double quick time.
Logically the city(airport) that gives you the best rate of return on investment deserves the best infrastructure aint it- and logically its not supposed to be based relatively on past conditions but based absolutely on what the needs of the future are.
2) They need to start implementing Phase 2 rightaway and in parallel with expansion of current terminal.

If they dont do 1) & 2) and as a result if it turns out to be the same old failure story - then they could end up being in deep deep trouble, and for their own sakes at least i hope they do it.
If they(BIA) happen to slow down Bangalore's growth and if this is evinced in a year, then even the courts will not support them- i hope they take note. The money they spend on the airport is nothing compared to Bangalore's growth potential- i mean if they dont deliver in a year- then they can be compensated and on their way out. They need to live and breathe Bangalore in order to understand what Bangalore needs. Let them not let down the very public who supported them and who still support them now - or the same public who patronize them now will end up turning against them in a year.
I sincerely hope they take note.

Immediate fix for passenger overcrowding in terminal building: For passengers who come early for fear of missing the flight due to lack of reliable connectivity - install a structure outside terminal to accommodate people who come in early with shops, washrooms- it will serve its purpose even for the long term.

Suncity

May 26th, 2008, 05:49 PM

zenith_suv

May 26th, 2008, 06:18 PM

If the foundation stone is laid within the next month or so then it will take a minimum of 2 years to build another terminal.

Peak or rush hour traffic is something BIAL must have planned for and the existing building should be able to avoid long lines , I'm unfamiliar with B'lore as I'm not a resident and so I'm unaware if majority traffic significantly varies from Weekend to weekdays.

Lets wait and see.

Silicon_Valley

May 26th, 2008, 07:05 PM

From the crowds in the picture it looks like they will need a second terminal pronto. But this could be just rush hour crowds and the rest of the time the terminal is not as crowded?

How long will it take to build a new terminal? Three years?

May be fearing connectivity issues, people had arrived much ahead of time. That may be the reason for the crowd.

phaedrus

May 26th, 2008, 07:14 PM

Top retailers see cash registers ringing

Rajeev Janveja is excited over where Illy Café — Italy’s premium coffee brand — has opened its first outlet in India.
A few steps from the overseas passengers lounge at the new international airport here, it is sure to lure people in to sip Illy’s famous expresso coffee, he says. “It is the passenger profile here that is even more exciting,” says Janveja, corporate chef at HMSHost Corp., a firm that operates eateries at airports and motels, mostly in North America.
The new airport, built and owned by the Bangalore International Airport Ltd (Bial), has seen its opening delayed thrice, and is now set to begin operations from Saturday.
Bial has spent Rs2,470 crore on the airport, and the vendors and concessionaires have invested another Rs1,000 to provide various services to passengers. The airport expects to handle 12 million passengers in its first year of operations.
HMSHost has invested $3.2 million (Rs13.8 crore) in nine outlets that include Pizza Hut and Barista, at the airport, a little less the $3.5 million in 12 outlets at the new airport in Hyderabad, which opened in March. “We expect better business here,” says Janveja.
His optimism is shared by other vendors such as Odyssey India Ltd, a bookstore company owned by Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd. Odyssey has four times the space in Bangalore than what it has leased at the Hyderabad airport, built and owned by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. “There is a lot of IT and BPO crowd here, more than in Hyderabad,” says Babu Bellan, head of Karnataka operations at Odyssey. The younger profile of workers here and their higher disposable income make them the right customers for flowers and gifts at these stores, he says.
The new airport here also hosts Nuance Group AG, a global airport retailer, and Shoppers Stop Ltd, an Indian departmental store, besides a clutch of eateries designed on the lines of the Lal Bagh gardens in the city. Bial says its airport has a parking space for 2,000 cars, short walkways and ramps, and as many as 53 check-in counters for maximum passenger convenience.

source livemint.com (http://www.livemint.com/2008/05/24001505/Top-retailers-see-cash-registe.html)

Silicon_Valley

May 26th, 2008, 08:25 PM

HAL airport may get going again (http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=46964&n_tit=Bangalore%3A+HAL+Airport+may+Get+Going+Again+)

DHNS

Bangalore, May 26: The HAL Airport may have wound up the flight operations following opening up of the new Bengaluru International Airport at Devanahalli. But there are still chances of the HAL Airport becoming functional.

The High Court has set a 12 week deadline for reconsidering the agreement reached with the Bangalore International Authority Limited (BIAL) by the State government. “Considering the developments in the civil aviation sector during the last three years, the State Government will also attempt to revive the HAL airport”, sources told Deccan Herald.

The sources informed that around 400 flights were being operated annually from Bangalore when the agreement was reached with the BIAL about three years ago. “But now around 700 flights are being operated and in the days to come, the number will go up further. From the travellers point of view, it is advisable to have more than one airport.

Please follow above link for related news ..

genialgiant

May 27th, 2008, 05:19 AM

Not quite world class this airport

DH NEWS SERVICE

BANGALORE:“Nightmarish,” recalled Ms Pauli, still shaken fromher first landing at the BengaluruInternational Airport (BIA) onSunday by a private airline. Theonly smooth affair was her Kolkataflight’s touchdown on BIA’s brandnew runway. The troubles, that began with her flight circling over theairport for over 20 minutes, werejust about to get worse.

The flight had landed, and thefirst thought in every passenger’smind was to get out and head home.But it took over 15 minutes for theladder to arrive.“When it did reachus,the personnel operating it couldnot attach it properly to the aircraft. The employees were so amateur,”said Ms Pauli.

Eventually, they alighted andwere on the tarmac expecting a busto take them to the terminal building. “There was only one bus, andwas packed.I squeezed myself into it.” If she thought the problems ended there,she was mistaken.The bus driver was clueless aboutwhere to take them. After wandering over three gates,they managed to finally get into the main buildingthrough Gate 4.“We had to wait another 40 minutes and still there was no sign of our baggage.” Finally, she managed to get out with her luggage.But awaiting her outside was a serpentine queue for ataxi. “It started to rain then, and there was no weather shelter. I waited in that queue for an hour, and I could see only three taxis. Inthe end, what saved me was an Innova, and after much bargain I managed to get in. There was noVolvo bus in sight,”recalled the harassed passenger. “I will never come to this airport again,” she said with finality.

The same fate awaited another passenger, Mr Victor, who landed in Devanahalli by a private airline from Pune.Forty minutes,that wasthe time he and his fellow passengers spent on the tarmac waiting for a bus to the terminal. “There were some elderly people waiting with me. The queue was as long as from one end of Brigade road to the other,”he recalled.

An old diabetic patient wasstruggling to push his luggage trolley.In a rush came the official help but with a price. “The passenger was asked to shell out Rs 75 for this trolley push. Since there was a third piece of luggage, he was asked to fork out another Rs 25,” noted Mr Victor. The passengers were livid, terming it a daylight robbery. Ms Pauli was convinced that the airport would take another six months to get things organised. “But even if they do it then, I will never step in here again.”

Teething troubles continue

BANGALORE,DHNS:

Airline passengers woes continued at the Bengaluru International Airport(BIA),even on the third day of operations.

Passengers called upDeccanHeraldoffice on Monday to narrate their harrowing experiences atDevanahalli. They asked the airport authorities to quickly iron outthe teething trouble before a negative image is created in the mindsof travellers about facilities at BIA.

Beena Shaji, a resident of Koramangala, who came to receive herhusband arriving by Sri LankanAirlines at 8 pm on Saturday, saidthough the flight arrived on time,airport authorities took 45 minutesto connect the aerobridge after theaircraft halted at the designatedparking bay.

“It was an horrendous experience for me and my husband.I kept calling him on my mobile all alongfrom the airport arrival loungeonly to be told that the aerobridgehas not been connected and he wasstill on the flight.Added to this wasthe wait for our luggage that arrived half an hour late,after the immigration checks were through. Iwaited for two hours, before leaving the airport,”she said.

Calling on the BIA authorities to act fast, Ms Beena further said herwoes did not end there. “While Iwas waiting for my husband toalight, I went into the rest roomonly to find it water logged. Therewere no tissues on the roll.No mop.A maid was cleaning the floor withacloth. This is not expected from anew international airport,” sheadded.

Another passenger, who on condition of anonymity, said she sawfellow passengers crib on facilities on offer at BIA, saying there is no responsible help/feedback desk. “I noticed an unclaimed parcel lyingat the baggage check-out area. I informed the customs officials present only to be told that it has been cleared. Then why was it not claimed? It could be dangerous. BIA authorities should be morealert and vigilant on such unclaimed parcels,”she said.

Bird-hits, rains disrupt flights

DH News Service

BANGALORE:Even as the BengaluruInternational Airport (BIA) atDevanahalli completed its third day ofcommercial operations on Monday,trouble of a different kind descendedon the aerodrome disrupting take-offsand landings over the weekend.

Two bird-hits were reported in thelast two days, affecting flightmovements, Airports Authority ofIndia (AAI) sources at the ATC tower in BIA toldDeccan Heraldon Monday.

The first bird-hit was reported at the new greenfield aerodrome on Sunday and the second on Monday.

“The vicinity of the airport being a vast open space full of lush greenery,is home to thousands of birds. The trouble is more in morning hours when these birds, after roosting, fly across flight paths, obstructing aircraft movement. Thankfully, they were minor incidents that did not affect the aircraft,”said the sources.

Bird-hits could hamper aircraft movements and lead to delay in arrival and departures if left unchecked, cautioned aviation experts.

AAI officials said using ultrasound devices to scare off birds in minor incidents to shooting birds in extreme situations could be adopted by BIA.

“A wildlife controller has been designated to control the menace of stray animals,if any,or birds entering the airside,”explained BIAL officials.

Besides, the runway, taxiways and apron would also be inspected four times a day to ensure they are kept clean and are clear of stray animals, foreign objects or unauthorised persons or vehicles.

The heavy rains that lashed the City over the weekend also delayed aircraft arrivals and departures. AAI sources said a few flight arrivals were delayed as the parking bay was full.

“The affected airline had to be redirected to make a second landing.It was an instance of ‘missed approach’. Pilots are informed about the parking bay slots/numbers to landing airlines. It was occupied by other aircraft resulting in the delay,” explained the sources. BIA is equipped with 42 parking bays including rapid exit ways for aircraft,with eight aerobridges and can handle 720 aircraft movements a day (30 during a peak hour).

krinix

May 27th, 2008, 05:41 AM

Going through all the reactions, I can think of only one thing, "Poor management" !
Most of the issues that flyers are facing can be avoided.
Connecting the aerobridge takes more than 45 minutes - Looks like bunch of amatuers.
" .“When it did reachus,the personnel operating it couldnot attach it properly to the aircraft. The employees were so amateur,”said Ms Pauli.
"
Who is in charge of that?

2. Not enoungh vehicles to escort alighted passengers to the terminal.

Who is in charge of that?

3. Baggage handling - late arrival of the bagggages.

Who is in charge of that?

4. Calling on the BIA authorities to act fast, Ms Beena further said herwoes did not end there. “While Iwas waiting for my husband toalight, I went into the rest roomonly to find it water logged. There were no tissues on the roll. No mop. A maid was cleaning the floor with a cloth. This is not expected from a new international airport,” she added.

This is really sad. Not enough manpower I guess.

sudheeshnairs

May 27th, 2008, 06:30 AM

I feel we must heed to experiences of our fellow forumers like that of himmat rather than the articles by reporters.

I am yet to go through BIAL, but my experience regarding connectivity, facilities outside the terminal, the looks etc are good.

My Sr. DGM had flown down last day from Delhi, he is also satisfied with the experience, eventhough there was a little hiccup with the aerobridge door

I reached BIAL on a Spice Jet flight from Delhi this Sunday. I was satisfied with all the facilities except the wash room. The wash room in arrivals area is extremely small for a airport of this size.

Silicon_Valley

May 27th, 2008, 06:44 AM

Terming some of these problems 'teething' is a lame excuse. How can the management overlook something as straight forward as training people with aerobridge operations, ensuring enough buses from parking bay to the terminal, cleanliness of restrooms & so on and the list seems to be growing by the day, not coming down! I have not seen a single statement from the BIAL till now as to what steps are they initiating to tackle these so called 'teething' problems.

Having said that, I should agree with Sudheesh that we should wait for our forumers to give us a first hand experience on BIA rather than writing BIA off so soon! Some of these problems may have been conveniently exaggerated by the passengers purely from frustration arising out of the initial hiccups.

Suncity

May 27th, 2008, 06:53 AM

Did this DHNews Service find anyone saying anything positive about BIAL?

:lol:

jammy97

May 27th, 2008, 07:24 AM

Did this DHNews Service find anyone saying anything positive about BIAL?

:lol:

I think it did!! :)

No malfunction at BIA
Bangalore, dhns:

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials at Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) on Sunday denied any instance of malfunction at its Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, a senior AAI officer said there was no malfunction at BIA. “The transition from HAL has by far been smooth. Minor teething problems are bound to be there in a project of this magnitude. All take-offs and landings are on as scheduled,” he said.

BIA sources said there is no question of any collapse in systems. “If at all any hitch such as a radar or communication problems does occur, the ATC will immediately issue the NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), on any change/delay on flight path. We’ve not issued anything,” said BIA sources.

BIA aalso said the flight delays and departures, handling of baggage,were further reduced on Sunday.

Source: DH-27thMay08 (http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/May262008/city2008052670104.asp)

jammy97

May 27th, 2008, 07:37 AM

This picture shows the queue a bit more organised:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3086/2527333464_a16c972d3c_o.jpg
Source: Hindu Business Line 25th May 08

BIAL is definitely to be blamed for the poor management so far. But at the check in counters i feel people can be a bit more organized themselves. Everybody just wants to rush for no reason.

Usually, people are supposed to wait a few metres before the check in counters when others are checking in. But, I see people going right behind the person checking in. It doesn't make sense. Much like how motorists go past the pedestrian crossing and stop in the middle of the traffic signal :bash:

mailabode

May 27th, 2008, 08:33 AM

Now i feel the consequences of Narayanamurthy quitting from the chairmanship of the BIA project. If only the man had been involved till the end the end would have been different i feel. I wonder why Gowda was so insistent that Murthy did not continue involving himself with the project- seems very fishy thinking of it now. I am disappointed with how BIA has turned out, but if Murthy who knows what really happenned quite well supports BIAL on BIA and does not blame them squately for the debacle- then i would still trust BIA and will encourage them to make amends by going for 'Big' in the future.
I happenned to think - if Gowda can give his word that he would transfer power to the coalition partner after 2 years and then unashamedly refuse to hand over power - then is he not capable of taking a huge sum of money for granting a sanction/sanctions of some sort and then when the time came to keep up his promise he refuse to fulfil his promise, and that too not just once but many times?. Was wondering if such a thing hurt BIA badly financially.

Devesh

May 27th, 2008, 10:10 AM

the Govt knew about capacity problems when granting sanctions in 2005. Am not sure BIAL did the survey to determine what the capacity should be- it was a Govt appointed organization- and well before contracts were invited- maybe Lufthansa in this case. And the project got dragged and meanwhile reforms changed the business landscape and resulted in increased passenger traffic by leaps and bounds. Who was to take the new scenario into account?- of course the Govt(since there is no other organization in India to do this) and it was they who initated the process.

Hi Mailabode

Just for your info, GoK commissioned SH&E UK for the study prior to tendering. BIAL used Lufthansa Consulting (LHC) to verify in 2001, and then again in 2005. My article http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com/2008/04/case-for-keeping-hal-opening-in.html, covers this study.

The contract is very open ended on the issue of capacity. All that is says is that BIAL will provide an airport that meets the air transport requirement of Bangalore for the next 60 years. (30 years initially, and another 30 at BIAL's option).

I cannot understand why are you blaming the government separately for BIAL's shortcomings. Both GoI and GoK are a part of BIAL. Specifically, the project design and management is expertise area and direct responsibility of Unique Zurich i.e. Mr. Brunner, not even the other private partners Siemens and L&T, Government is a very far cry.

Quoting from that article "BIAL has independently contracted Lufthansa Consulting (LHC) on two occasions to project air traffic in Bangalore before commencing construction. Thanks to their conservative projections, Bangalore has crossed, BIAL's "Optimistic" figures for the year 2010, 3 years ahead in 2007 and the gap is only widening with each passing day. Many seasoned industry watchers believe the BIAL projections continue to be excessively conservative, and their projection of 21.4 million passengers by 2013 is unrealistically low."

We also have to remember that BIAL has been constantly telling everyone, that their terminal is modular and can be easily expanded. Check this article of mine http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com/2008/05/history-of-passenger-terminal-at-bial.html.

My report on air traffic, was sent by the Chamber to Shri Praful Patel in early 2006, and showed a projected traffic in 2008 of 8 million. In Feb/Mar 2006, he visited BIAL and demanded a terminal expansion. BIAL knew in 2006 that it was under-capacity, but chose to do nothing about it till forced by the Minister.

Please observe the following points in the news article.

The terminal area was expanded only 27%, but claimed passenger capacity increased by 244%.
Even today, the BIA terminal is still at 71,000 sq. mtr. However the claimed capacity of 11 million, has been increased to 15 million.
Additional funding of Rs. 518 Crore was by debt financed by Indian institutions and advance security deposits, not promoter investment.

The last point is of concern to me. Have we run in to a situation where the promoters are unwilling, or worse, unable, to make any additional investment ? Or have the promoters made other, very large "investments", that is making the project unviable ?

The fact of the matter is, that since 2001, the project design has been in the hands of BIAL. They are responsible to deliver.

Between FY Mar 2006 and FY Mar 2007, air passenger traffic in Bangalore grew from 5 million to 8 million. This is public information. BIAL knew this growth, and had 1 full year to expand the 11 million terminal a second time, but they chose not to. Again, was it finance, or a lack of faith in Bangalore ?

We need to stop being "BIAL apologists".

Bangalore was promised a "world class" airport, and we have paid Rs 10,000 Cr., in concessions and connectivity, already, and we will continue to pay in the form of UDF.

As responsible consumers it is high time we start demanding the world class facilities we were promised, and hold BIAL to its promises.

--------------------------
Devesh Agarwal
Visit my Bangalore Aviation Blog
http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com

genialgiant

May 27th, 2008, 10:48 AM

Passengers fume as crew hunts for missing plane

Sandhya Ravishankar / CNN-IBN

TimePublished on Tue, May 27, 2008 at 13:13 in Nation section

MISSING IN ACTION: Minutes before departure, the crew of Indian said the plane couldn't be located.

Bangalore: You have heard of planes going missing in flight, but have you heard of a jet going missing at the airport? That's exactly what happened at the new Bangalore International Airport on Monday.

Passengers at the newly opened Bangalore International Airport were in for a rude shock when the plane they were supposed to be flying in went missing!

They were waiting to board Indian flight IC915 to Hyderabad, but just fifteen minutes before departure, airline staff could not locate the plane. Indian's crew then went hunting for the craft for 45 minutes.

One of the waiting passengers, Dr Ramesh said, "Just opening new airports is not enough. One needs people and systems in place. They made us wait for a good two hours for the ticket and then in the queue and then suddenly the signboard said the flight had departed."

As angry passengers demaded to know if the flight had actually left, the hapless Indian staff had no answers.

Adding to the confusion, Air Traffic Control did not respond for over an hour, despite frantic calls by the ground staff. It took over an hour to finally locate the flight, which had apparently been waiting on the tarmac for the passengers to board.

Another passenger, Gangadhar said, "What's the use of a grand opening of the new airport when everything is going haywire? Civil Aviation Minister, Praful Patel should be ashamed of himself for letting things go wrong like this."

The incident has added to travellers' unhappiness with Bangalore's pride, the new International Airport.

Dr Ramesh said. "This is not an international airport. This is more like a bus terminus, I'm sorry to say."

genialgiant

May 27th, 2008, 10:57 AM

ANother blogger's impressions:

New Bangalore International Airport: First Impressions
Posted by HK under living

Haven’t posted in here for a long time due to variety of factors. Want to do this a bit more regularly.
Today is the 4th day of operations at the new Devanahalli BIA. I was wondering if my flight in to Bangalore on Friday would land there, but luckily they opened on Saturday. Otherwise, I’d have been one of the first guinea Pigs.

Staying in Kasturinagar (next to Banaswadi) I am lucky to be living next to a ring road connecting to Hebbal and from there a six lane high way to airport. It took only 30 minutes from my house to BIA with a local taxi (Left home at 6am). I am sure during the day that time will atleast double to 1hour.
Why Local taxi??

Well, I tried booking a Easy-cab and Meru-Cab 12 hours in advance the previous evening. But, was politely told they can’t take the booking as they are ‘out of capacity’. My trusted old call-taxi came willingly, though it cost me Rs.700 for the drop.

So, here is the biggest gripe about the Transportation: I don’t know where exactly the shuttle stops close to Channasandra, though it is shown in their map. I checked a day in advance if there is any display, but there wasn’t any. So, where do I stand waiting for the Shuttle?

Besides, The bus, with a frequency of half hour, has only 30 seats. In early mornings, and late evenings, when peak traffic to Airport materializes, 30 seats from the entire KR-Puram belt will be filled up easily. On my way I saw 2 BMTC volvo buses, without a single seat vacant. And my hunch has to be right. The frequency of 30 minutes during early mornings and late evenings won’t be sufficient.

Besides, there should be clear demarcated places to pick people up. The BMTC phones and BIAL phones were not being answered (Typical govt. organization attitude).

Ok. So, what about the airport itself?

Airport is functional, much better than HAL (which is like kannada saying ‘kurudiginta kiwudi lesu’ - meaning a deaf is better than a blind.)

I feel they are ‘out of capacity’ from day one. Some people (including BIAL itself attributes it to Teething Problems). I am only listing areas which can’t be ‘teething’ problem, but lack of proper planning.
The private parking area in front was crowded and narrow. The check-in queue area is small (Hyderabad airport has far bigger area!!). The toilet area at check-in zone can handle only about 5-6 people at a time, Considering distance from City that’s not much!! And it was dirty. A strange thing was - There were more faucets than pots.

Once you check-in you go above for security check. A definite improvement over HAL airport. There were about 6 security check points but, only 3 working, when I went in, but there is bound to be queue at peak hour, but nothing compared to HAL.

Get in, and all off a sudden it hits you. It looks swanky but crowded. In fact, most areas look cramped. There are more gates, but only 8 aero bridges. Only one Passenger information display, just after the security check-in area. NOT ADEQUATE.

All the gates have seating capacity. Between 60-80. Considering the plane capacity is almost triple of that, people will be crowding near the gates (nothing new here). But, it seems to be a better design than Hyderabad Airport in the sense Aerobridges seem more usable here than in Hyderabad. In hyderabad only 4 aero bridges are usable and Bus rides to terminal are common.

Security hold area seems further cramped because of large food and other retail shops, butting very close to seating areas.

There was a lot of confusion as to which Gate I’d board from, but then this can easily be sorted out in coming days.

The interior finish quality of the airport is bad. Compared to Hyderabad Airport, this airport looks aged from Day one. But then Hyderabad Airport has lesser traffic but larger interior space.
One thing I liked : There was a cafeteria in the outside of Check-in area, where the prices seemed reasonable. South Indian snacks at around Rs.30 (compared to the Rs.80 inside the security hold area). Certainly a way to go. I never understood the tendency in India to price eatables at about 5-8 times (500-800%) more than their fair value. International norms are more like about 2 times (100% more).
OVERALL:

I guess, it is much better than before, but no where close to most of the international airports I have seen. It is Cramped, out of capacity from Day one and not even thoughtfully designed. Hope some of these will be corrected over a period of time. But, some others can’t be corrected as they are design flaws.
The design of this airport seems totally dated. Wasn’t an exciting experience. Perhaps for people who never experienced better than HAL, may be this will be satisfactory. But not for frequent flyers.
I also fail to see reason to rush to open the Airport at 100%. They are apparently not ready, there are glitches and capacity constraints, especially in trained man-power and proper directions and displays. They could’ve had a soft-launch with may be International and Long-distance flights being shifted first, and then over 3 months shift the others (if at all HAL needs to be closed).
CONNECTIVITY: Time wise it won’t trouble me much as it used to take about 20 minutes journey to HAL in morning and it took only 30 minutes to get to BIA. And In evening it used to take 40 minutes to HAL and it’d be about 1hr to BIA.

But, I do empathize with people having to travel from longer distances on regular basis. Govt. certainly needs to do something about giving better info. on pickup points etc.

Oh! Contarary to what people think, I feel govt. needs to be congratulated!!! The 6 lane highway from Hebbal to Airport is indeed fairly fast. The only short coming is there are some 4-5 traffic junctions. During the day time it’d slow people down. They should’ve planned flyovers or underpasses here (instead of troubling people in future). But, this is much much better than what they have in Hyderabad. Now all they need to figure is a way to connect people to Hebbal and clear the junctions in the middle.

HAL Airport: I was for keeping the HAL Airport open for short flights. That impression hasn’t changed. People think it has something to do with commuting. In my case atleast it isn’t. It takes me same time (more or less) to reach either of these places. But, my objection to the closure is that, Bangalore is leaping beyond anyones expectation. There is no point in giving a Monopoly to rent-seeking companies.

Just think of this: Govt thinks of building a Express Rail Connectivity at an expense of Rs.4,000crore. The cost of BIA? Rs.2600crore!! It can’t get more absurd than that. Govt. gave a monopoly to BIAL under the pretext of not having funds to build one itself. And now proposes to spend almost double that amount to provide connectivity!! 15 years back India was a different country. You can’t let the constraints of those days rule your future. If we let a monopoly of 150km stand, then for next 60 years (30 + 30), BIAL will hold Bangalore to ransom.

NO SENSE IN ALLOWING THAT.

http://harshak.com/blog/?p=13

castlerock

May 27th, 2008, 11:43 AM

Only hope is if one Mr. Ahluwalia flies through this airport with his relatives. BIAL may be pulled up then. Or are foreign contractors exempted from any explaning.

Prodigist

May 27th, 2008, 12:11 PM

B'lore: Passengers fume as crew hunts for missing plane
Sandhya Ravishankar / CNN-IBN

Bangalore: You have heard of planes going missing in flight, but have you heard of a jet going missing at the airport? That's exactly what happened at the new Bangalore International Airport on Monday.

Passengers at the newly opened Bangalore International Airport were in for a rude shock when the plane they were supposed to be flying in went missing!
One of the waiting passengers, Dr Ramesh said, "Just opening new airports is not enough. One needs people and systems in place. They made us wait for a good two hours for the ticket and then in the queue and then suddenly the signboard said the flight had departed."
Adding to the confusion, Air Traffic Control did not respond for over an hour, despite frantic calls by the ground staff. It took over an hour to finally locate the flight, which had apparently been waiting on the tarmac for the passengers to board.
Dr Ramesh said. "This is not an international airport. This is more like a bus terminus, I'm sorry to say."

LINK (http://www.ibnlive.com/news/blore-passengers-fume-as-crew-hunts-for-missing-plane/66069-3.html)

This is really bad start to this airport... It is clearly evident from the queues at the check-ins, size of the washrooms that this terminal was definitely definitely upgraded haphazardly from 7million PAX to 12 million..
Its better not to talk about AAI here because everyone knows the way it functions... Really a shame on not only BANG but also on the entire country

genialgiant

May 27th, 2008, 01:07 PM

It's raining woes at BIAL

My first experience with Bangalore International Airport was bad
Click to view Kovvuri's profile Posted by: Kovvuri // 2 hours ago // viewed 22 times
Bangalore, Nebraska // embed media

My first experience with Bangalore International Airport was bad

Like everyone even I was excited about the new Bangalore International Airport. I have taken the tickets of Deccan on 26^th^ Morning Flight (6:30 AM) from Bangalore to Madurai and return ticket at 7.55 PM from Madurai. As I have to take early morning flight I got up at 3 AM and started to the Airport at 4 AM. When I have entered into the airport I noticed that there was not much difference between the old airport and the new one as the new airport was as crowed as the old one. After taking the boarding pass, I was rushed to the security check. When I entered the first floor all the screens were displaying wrong information. Instead of Jet it was Deccan and instead of Kingfisher something else. No body was at Deccan counter to answer when the flight would take off and no display of the flight details. Finally at 7:30 after a long battle by all the passengers, we were moved into the bus and the bus driver was instructed that the flight is at 72 bay and when we have reached they said it was at 73 bay and the same story at 73 bay and moved to 74 bay. Finally we have reached our flight. For two hours they made us sit in the flight. No clue where the pilot was. The old people and the children suffered badly because of it and finally after some time all the passengers came out on to the runway as it was suffocating in the flight without AC. People had got up early in the morning and everyone was irritated. Tempers were flying around. Finally at 9:45am the pilot arrived and the flight took off more than 3 hrs after its actual departure time. As I got an opportunity to express I have one more bad experience with Deccan. They had issued a ticket from Vizag to Bangalore from their website even though they had cancelled the flight on that day of the week three months back. After all this I understood that India has changed for better but our people and the system has to be changed... I have few video clipping of this which I can share with everyone.

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-26972?ref=feeds%2Flatest

No sign of any good news yet

Bengaluru inter’naasha’nal airportu
May 27th, 2008 · 1 Comment

Why does anyone build something new? Usually because the old one had developed certain problems that could not be solved by incremental fixes. So we now move from HAL airport to Bengaluru International Airport (BIAL). Let us capture the problems that were faced at the HAL airport before examining the BIAL airport. This is purely from the domestic airport point of view.

Congestion while getting into the airport:

This was a two fold problem - one, getting to the airport through the traffic jam on the airport road, etc and two, once near the entrance to the airport there used to be so many vehicles there that getting out of your vehicle and making it to the security entrance would be a pain.

Waiting space post-security check:

I have once waited for a flight standing for 40 minutes. The average must hover around 20 minutes standing.

Lounge:

I must have missed this one in the old airport because I have always spent time standing! :D Anyway if there was one at the HAL airport then were the duds at the check-in counter sleeping?!

Announcements to board the aircraft:

Clarity was zero. And since invariably the flights would get delayed there was no way of knowing if the flight for which you were waiting is ready for boarding or already left! I know a friend of mine who missed his flight waiting in the airport. He was told, “Sir, we announced that the flight was ready for boarding and even announced your name thrice”. His only consolation was that thousands of people must have heard his name! Famous guy, we teased him for a long time after that!

Luggage collection post landing:

I have usually traveled only with hand luggage, but have heard some woeful stories of friends and family waiting for over half an hour to 45 minutes for their luggage. The only instance that I traveled with some check-in baggage I got it in decent time. Nothing to complain. But this was apparently one of the major problems though I went unaffected.

Getting out of the airport to hit the airport road:

I would usually travel by a cab inside the city and once I have identified that cab driver, for him to take his cab and come out of the parking lot would be around 20 minutes and another half an hour to hit the airport road. And regarding the traffic jams we have already addressed that in the first point.

So now onto the new airport. I will not get into the specifics here. Just go through the below activity timeline of mine and you will know the problems.

Arrival into BIAL
9.00 AM: Landed at BIAL
9.20 AM: Sitting in aircraft waiting for aerobridge to come and take us out
9.40 AM: Aerobridge is connected
9.50 AM: We are walking on the newly constructed BIAL. Wow. huh? wow?
10.20 AM: Waiting for our luggage (What the #$%^& were they doing when we were sitting inside the aircraft?)
10.30 AM: Luggage is taken.
10.40 AM: Outside the aiport. Spotted the taxi.
10.45 AM: In the taxi. On our way.
12.00 PM: At home. Jayanagar.

Departure from BIAL: (Next day)
5.00 PM: Sitting in a taxi for the 8.40PM flight (considering the doomsday predictions that I got from people on getting to the airport)
6.05 PM: At the airport. Fairly quick time. Probably because it was a Sunday.
6.15 PM: Join the queue at the check-in counter.
6.40 PM: Get to the counter.
6.50 PM: Done with the check-in. Had considerable check-in luggage.
6.55 PM: Took the escalator upstairs for security check. Joined the queue.
7.10 PM: Completed the security check to meet a sea of people all standing not knowing what to do. I thought I was a smart alec and thought of taking a self-appointed tour of the brand new swanky BIAL. Half of it was not yet open to dumb tourist-like public (like me) and out of the other half a half of it was reserved for international passengers only. Ha! The only thing international about BIAL is the distance from the city. Totally meaningless for a Chennai resident like me to fly anymore.
7.30 PM: At the queue at the ‘taste of India’ outlet.
7.45 PM: Witness a squabble between the air hostess of Kingfisher Deccan (Anything related to this KF brand is a failure nowadays except their airline I was about to fly in!) with a few members in the queue.
8.00 PM: Get across to the guy to place my order. I tell him that since the KF lounge was not yet ready I was asked to use the boarding pass to get my snacks or whatever is the entitlement. Poker-faced answer, “No information from the airlines Sir. We are sorry”. I pay Rs. 360/- for Basmati rice+egg curry and paratha+paneer butter masala a water bottle and minute maid (my favourite orange drink).
8.30 PM: Boarding is announced. We rush to the Gate #7. The queue is longer than the available space. Sit down on a chair (lucky to find one I must say!) nearby to join the queue when it is shorter in length.
8.45 PM: Get into the queue and take the stairs.
9.00 PM: Waiting for the bus to come and take us to the aircraft. It was quite literally like standing in a bus stand waiting for a bus.
9.05 PM: Finally the bus arrives. And guess what - it’s a BMTC bus! I guess they were just rubbing it in that it was a bus stand!
9.30 PM: There is a storm over the airport. Can’t fly. There are no landings or take-offs. We are stranded inside the aircraft.
10.30 PM: Storm persists. We are sitting inside having done with our dinner snack!
10.40 PM: Storm clears up. We take-off.

Fundamental issues have not been addressed. Aerobridge, luggage handling, passenger flow in the airport, waiting area, eateries, coffee bars and cleanliness of toilets - everything needs more attention. My experience here leads me to believe that Bangalore never had the right personnel to man the airport. The same issues continue to dog the new airport as well.

On an overall basis, I feel the airport has been done well aesthetically. I love the way the a/c ducts are designed. The 100ft high roof at the check-in counter. The gangotree, Baskin Robbins and Kaatizone outlets on the outside. The parking arrangement. The colours chosen are particularly soft on the eyes. I just thought there could have been more escalators from the check-in counter to the security area.

The choice of shops inside the shopping area just after the security check is bad if you ask me. I want to know what drives this perspective that you need only lifestyle brands to be displayed at the airports? The future is low cost flying. You will have common people getting into the airport. Please have stalls and brands that satisfy their needs and thus increase the revenue per square foot of the retail outlets. Otherwise I don’t see the footfalls increasing. A business traveller does not have the time to pick something up unless there is an occasion which he/ she actually remembers! And BIAL, I can’t believe you missed this - where is a bookstore? An airport without a bookstore? How absurd is that?! Shucks! A traveller (business/ pleasure) will love to just hang out in the bookstore if he has the time. Alas! I must be way off the mark in my assessment of travellers’ needs!

For me to travel from Chennai to Bangalore by air, just does not make commercial sense. I might as well hire a chauffer-driven luxury car and drive down all the way and save 50% of the cost. But for other city-dwellers, there is little choice. My condolences to them!

http://www.mysorean.com/2008/05/27/bengaluru-internaashanal-airportu/#more-484

100+ hours since the airport launch and the website still says 'Coming Soon' for the arrivals and departures dashboard

Drive, don’t fly
Author: Savie Karnel and Sanchita Sen Date: 27 May 2008

Two MiD DAY reporters set out simultaneously from Bangalore for Chennai, one by plane and the other by bus, to check out the relative merits of air and road travel. Savie Karnel, who flew from the Devanahalli airport, took 7 hours to reach central Chennai, while Sanchita Sen, who boarded a bus, took just 40 minutes more. Lesson: The long ride to the new airport takes the joy out of short haul flights. Passengers spend a lot of additional money, and save little or no time

If you suspected the long drive to the new airport would make your short haul flights way too expensive and time consuming, you were right.

MiD DAY did a reality check yesterday and found that a flight to Chennai would save you about 40 minutes, but cost you about Rs 4,300 more than if you took a bus.

We set out from Koramangala, which we thought was a good representative location to start from. It wasn't as far flung on the southern periphery as Electronic City, or as close to the airport expressway as Hebbal.

THE JOURNEY

Our destination was central Chennai. We booked two tickets, one on a private bus, and another on a Kingfisher flight. We began our journey simultaneously at 1.30 pm.

As we file our report from a hotel in Chennai, we bring you some lessons:

The distance to the airport is too much of a bother if you are in central or southern Bangalore, and are planning a trip to places such as Chennai. You have to worry about too many things: get on to cabs and buses, load and unload your baggage several times, and subject yourself to security checks and several other formalities. The new airport has other glitches. Its public address system is an abysmal failure, and the ground staff are still finding their feet.

Here is a detailed account of how our parallel journeys went.

The race begins

1.30 pm: Savie and Sanchita meet at Koramangala

1.45 pm: They wave goodbye to each other at Madivala, Hosur Road.

2 pm: Sanchita's bus leaves for Chennai. Savie gets into a cab and heads for Devanahalli.

Sanchita’s journey

2.55 pm: Bus crosses Tamil Nadu border and enters Hosur

3.45 pm: 15-minute break at a Krishnagiri food joint

6.30 pm: 10-minute halt for tea at Vellore

8.30 pm: Bus reaches terminus at Koyambeedu in Chennai.

8.34 pm: Auto drivers try to fleece her, but a Tamil helps her fix the fare to Egmore at Rs 120

9.10 pm: Sanchita arrives at Hotel Marina Towers, Egmore

Cost of bus travel

Auto fare from Koramangala to Madivala: Rs 15

ABT Travels ticket to Chennai: Rs 390

Auto fare from Koyambeedu bus terminus to Marina Towers, Egmore: Rs 120

Cost of air travel

Cab fare from Madivala to Devanahalli: Rs 700
Kingfisher ticket for Chennai: Rs 3,888
Taxi fare from Chennai airport to Egmore: Rs 250
Difference in price: Rs 4,328
Difference in time between air travel and bus travel: 40 minutes

Savie’s journey

2 pm: Cab leaves for Devanahalli

3.56 pm: Arrives at airport. Cab ride has taken nearly two hours

4.10 pm: Goes to the airline counter for baggage check-in and boarding pass

4.16 pm: Proceeds for security check, and waits for flight announcement. Scheduled take-off: 5.20 pm.

Reporting time is 4.20 pm and boarding 4.50 pm

4.52 pm: Asks Kingfisher ground staff about departure and is told “Wait for the announcement!”

5 pm: Starts getting anxious and asks airline executive at gate to the tarmac. He replies, “Wait for the announcement. Boarding will be from Gate 7”

5.10 pm: Sits down near Gate 7. Announcements are faint, and not clear.

5.12 pm: Walks up to announcement desk. No help again.

5.16 pm: Notices a passenger walking towards Gate 7. Asks ground staff about flight status and is told, “We just began boarding.” Other passengers follow, but no announcement is made

5.20 pm: Boards the BMTC Volvo bus to the aircraft, and is kept waiting for 15 minutes

5.40 pm: Enters the aircraft

6 pm: Pilot says he is ready, but ATC clearance is delayed because of air traffic congestion

6.15 pm: The flight finally takes off. It is late by 55 minutes

7.20 pm: Lands at Chennai airport

7.32 pm: Takes a pre-paid taxi to Egmore

8.30 pm: Reaches Hotel Marina Towers and checks in

9.10 pm: Sanchita walks in, meets Savie

http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/news/bangalore/article?_EXT_5_articleId=1151795&_EXT_5_groupId=14

castlerock

May 27th, 2008, 01:18 PM

Devesh

May 27th, 2008, 01:36 PM

The baggage handling is done by two independent bodies appointed by Civial Aviation. The airport nor the airlines have any role in it, except that SATS is partially owned by Air India.

So it is unfair to blame BIAL for baggage delay issues...

Ramkan

It is BIAL who is responsible, whole and sole. Please read my article http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com/2008/05/has-bial-lied-to-bangalore.html

The Ministry of Civil Aviation does not play any operational role in airport operations. MoCA's wholly owned body Airports Authority of India does. HAL airport terminal was operated by AAI, but not at BIAL. At BIAL AAI is responsible for the CNS and ATM (Communications and Navigation Systems, Air Traffic Management) operations.

All operations of the airport are controlled by the BIAL consortium. Operationally, the Unique Zurich team, i.e. Mr. Albert Brunner, is responsible.

BIAL gave a sub-concession to Globe Ground, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, and Air India - Singapore Airport Terminal Services (AI-SATS). SATS is a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, and AI-SATS is a joint venture. Operationally, SATS is in control.

These two are BIAL appointed agents. No third party can walk in. So it is BIAL who is responsible for delivery of "world class" service.

Why are we so quick to blame the government, and not BIAL ? :?

At the passenger terminal, it is not the airlines who do the ground handling. All this mess is due to inadequate equipment and more so, inadequate staff, and please keep in mind, this is AFTER poaching of most ground handling staff from HAL airport.

Cargo terminal handling is Menzies Bobba (affiliated to Lufthansa), and AI-SATS. Even here there is a right royal mess. The AI-SATS warehouse is incomplete, but was given permission to start operations. My article http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com/2008/05/bials-cargo-warehouse-in-shambles.html covers this.

Just as a parting thought, the airside transfer buses, are lying in Customs in Mumbai. If the airport was to have started 2 months earlier, since BIAL claimed the was fully ready, why have those buses not yet reached Bangalore ? Imagine if we had started end March. We would be facing these "teething problems" till now.

mailabode

May 27th, 2008, 01:55 PM

I have not gone anywhere near the airport and so my only info about the airport is from the drawings and pictures.
But the first constraint you mentioned about the depth of the airport at the check-in area - isn't it possible to re-construct the huge glass wall at the entrance outwards to include the huge portico area (don't know what to call it). But this area too seems to have the same kind of roof and the same hieght. So they need to just construct the sides also with glass which would also enhance the looks of the box structure. But maybe they will need to switch back to HAL for a few months to complete this construction.
Just my two cents :-)

Yes what you said is the better way- i have mentioned it in 4) i.e, moving to HAL for 6 months, i suggest a year and HAL can be under the complete charge of BIAL for the period(the retailers also would move there temporarily)- and meanwhile they not only enlarge it as you said- they better redesign the whole terminal by which i mean making the check-in area bigger and deeper, the gates area bigger(should almost triple in depth there), more aerobridges, make bigger and more number of toilets, more amenities like toilets etc for Airport staff and more resting rooms for ATC staff, one more lift in ATC building, build a multi storey parking lot for 3000 cars, and and start construction of underground train station and together with the Govt ensure train connectivity is completed, and importantly also construct another floor and provide vertical separation, and possibly lay an architecturally appealing roof like HIAL. Of course they will have to lose money due to damage of some equipment they have already installed and also because of renovation, but then they should think of the income they will get from running this particular airport- to me its potential is unlimited, plus they will be running HAL(in my idea). Nothing to be ashamed of for them- this is how the Developed countries developed. The airport and the infrastructure that comes up due to it invites more business, provides more jobs, creates more wealth and more passengers. Their estimate is peanuts- passenger traffic was estimated to be 40 million by 2030?- i say it will be 80 plus million. This is not europe which is saturated- its a developing country and that too its India if you knew its history and its speciality. I know they are capable but they must be a lot more aggressive and show urgency and also not go by European standards of traffic estimation - to me that makes no sense.

Connectivity: 'BRTS connection + 6 lane road(3 + 3)' - (that will be 6+2=8 lanes in total including Bus lanes) + High Speed airport train. I hope the new Govt shows some urgency and is as Good as Modi's Govt or even better(as regards civic infrastructure).

Cov Boy

May 27th, 2008, 03:25 PM

Great to see it's finally opened!

Its a nice airport & modern for that matter.

All airports will have teething problems to begin with so give it time & things hopefully would improve.

Good luck & Best wishes to BIAL.

indianocean

May 27th, 2008, 03:29 PM

It is BIAL who is responsible, whole and sole. Please read my article ...
...
The Ministry of Civil Aviation does not play any operational role in airport operations. MoCA's wholly owned body Airports Authority of India does. HAL airport terminal was operated by AAI, but not at BIAL. At BIAL AAI is responsible for the CNS and ATM (Communications and Navigation Systems, Air Traffic Management) operations...
...
All operations of the airport are controlled by the BIAL consortium. Operationally, the Unique Zurich team, i.e. Mr. Albert Brunner, is responsible....
...
Why are we so quick to blame the government, and not BIAL ?.....

well said... The incompetence of the BIAL mgmt is appalling and disgusting. Looks like they didnt attempt a full dry run on the most basic of things - correctly directing a passenger to his flight gate.

There was a raging debate on this very topic a couple of months ago... and many people on this forum were vigorously defending the BIAL mgmt over HIAL.... It is tragic that 60 years after independence, we have so many well-travelled cyber-coolies who believe that imported is always better... and give a raw deal to us "natives"....

Hopefully in the future, at least, they will view us "natives" in the same light as the imported ones...

vinothvasagar

May 27th, 2008, 03:30 PM

Drive, don’t fly
Author: Savie Karnel and Sanchita Sen Date: 27 May 2008

Two MiD DAY reporters set out simultaneously from Bangalore for Chennai, one by plane and the other by bus, to check out the relative merits of air and road travel. Savie Karnel, who flew from the Devanahalli airport, took 7 hours to reach central Chennai, while Sanchita Sen, who boarded a bus, took just 40 minutes more. Lesson: The long ride to the new airport takes the joy out of short haul flights. Passengers spend a lot of additional money, and save little or no time

If you suspected the long drive to the new airport would make your short haul flights way too expensive and time consuming, you were right.

MiD DAY did a reality check yesterday and found that a flight to Chennai would save you about 40 minutes, but cost you about Rs 4,300 more than if you took a bus.

We set out from Koramangala, which we thought was a good representative location to start from. It wasn't as far flung on the southern periphery as Electronic City, or as close to the airport expressway as Hebbal.

THE JOURNEY

Our destination was central Chennai. We booked two tickets, one on a private bus, and another on a Kingfisher flight. We began our journey simultaneously at 1.30 pm.

As we file our report from a hotel in Chennai, we bring you some lessons:

The distance to the airport is too much of a bother if you are in central or southern Bangalore, and are planning a trip to places such as Chennai. You have to worry about too many things: get on to cabs and buses, load and unload your baggage several times, and subject yourself to security checks and several other formalities. The new airport has other glitches. Its public address system is an abysmal failure, and the ground staff are still finding their feet.

Here is a detailed account of how our parallel journeys went.

The race begins

1.30 pm: Savie and Sanchita meet at Koramangala

1.45 pm: They wave goodbye to each other at Madivala, Hosur Road.
Cost of bus travel

Auto fare from Koramangala to Madivala: Rs 15

ABT Travels ticket to Chennai: Rs 390

Auto fare from Koyambeedu bus terminus to Marina Towers, Egmore: Rs 120

Cost of air travel

Cab fare from Madivala to Devanahalli: Rs 700
Kingfisher ticket for Chennai: Rs 3,888
Taxi fare from Chennai airport to Egmore: Rs 250
Difference in price: Rs 4,328
Difference in time between air travel and bus travel: 40 minutes

http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/news/bangalore/article?_EXT_5_articleId=1151795&_EXT_5_groupId=14

ABT Travels is just A/C Airbus and not a Volvo Bus. If it had been a KPN or Sharma Volvo you could have saved 1 more hour above the said 40 minutes... And if it had been a Car, a solid 2.5 hours could have been saved (With the quality of the road between Chennai and Bangalore, you can fly between the two places without taking off from BIAL, but in your car )

Arul Murugan

May 27th, 2008, 04:13 PM

Posted here>!>

CHENNAI: Flying is no longer the fastest way to get to Bangalore since the opening of the new airport.

With flights being delayed at Chennai airport and poor road connectivity from the new Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) to the city centre, many travellers are finding that taking the train to Silicon Valley is faster. The new airport at Devanahalli in Bangalore is about 35 km from the centre of the city.

A railway official said the increased bookings on Shatabdi Express from Chennai Central show more people now prefer taking a train, though it takes nearly five hours to cover the 300-km distance by rail. There is tremendous demand for seats on virtually all Bangalore-bound trains and even tatkal quotas are sold out within hours (see page 7).

On the other hand, airline tickets are freely available on this sector even at an hour’s notice. There are flights virtually every hour and they currently see an average 50-60% occupancy.

Apart from the difference in fares, one of the reasons for flights taking off half-empty is that the time saved by flying is now virtually off-set by the time spent waiting or on travelling to and fro from airports at both ends. "Flights out of Chennai airport are often delayed. This is a further waste of time," said M Vignesh, an IT consultant who travels to Bangalore often.

"If you include the reporting time at the airport, a passenger spends two hours to fly to Bangalore. Even if the flight reaches on time, the passenger has to drive for two hours to reach the city centre. Many travellers have to spend more than four-and-half hours to reach Bangalore from Chennai, nearly the same time they spend on a train," said D Sudhakara Reddy, president, Air Passengers Association of India (APAI).

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/C...ow/3075294.cms

Suncity

May 27th, 2008, 05:29 PM

A friendly reminder:

Please remember that there will always be disagreements and differing viewpoints on topics like this.

There are some forumers who have been very critical of this project. There are some who want to take a more balanced approach.

Please respect other fellow forumers and if you cannot agree with their viewpoint please agree to disagree. But no personal attacks and name calling.

Thanks

purapagal

May 27th, 2008, 05:41 PM

Yes what you said is the better way- i have mentioned it in 4) i.e, moving to HAL for 6 months, i suggest a year and HAL can be under the complete charge of BIAL for the period(the retailers also would move there temporarily)- and meanwhile they not only enlarge it as you said- they better redesign the whole terminal by which i mean making the check-in area bigger and deeper, the gates area bigger(should almost triple in depth there), more aerobridges, make bigger and more number of toilets, more amenities like toilets etc for Airport staff and more resting rooms for ATC staff, one more lift in ATC building, build a multi storey parking lot for 3000 cars, and and start construction of underground train station and together with the Govt ensure train connectivity is completed, and importantly also construct another floor and provide vertical separation, and possibly lay an architecturally appealing roof like HIAL. Of course they will have to lose money due to damage of some equipment they have already installed and also because of renovation, but then they should think of the income they will get from running this particular airport- to me its potential is unlimited, plus they will be running HAL(in my idea). Nothing to be ashamed of for them- this is how the Developed countries developed. The airport and the infrastructure that comes up due to it invites more business, provides more jobs, creates more wealth and more passengers. Their estimate is peanuts- passenger traffic was estimated to be 40 million by 2030?- i say it will be 80 plus million. This is not europe which is saturated- its a developing country and that too its India if you knew its history and its speciality. I know they are capable but they must be a lot more aggressive and show urgency and also not go by European standards of traffic estimation - to me that makes no sense.

Connectivity: 'BRTS connection + 6 lane road(3 + 3)' - (that will be 6+2=8 lanes in total including Bus lanes) + High Speed airport train. I hope the new Govt shows some urgency and is as Good as Modi's Govt or even better(as regards civic infrastructure).

All of this you want to complete in 6mts/1yr and negate all of the work done in the last 4 years? Who is going to pay for it? You? Do you think any of the shareholders(Private and GOI) will be willing to pay for destruction and rebuild of a new terminal?

The 80 million "out of the hat" projection depends on a lot of "Ifs" and no investor will be willing to pay for all of it in one go without any concrete evidence on the ground.

If you were so dissatisfied with the design, planning and construction you had about 4 years to raise your concern.

Sitting on your armchair and commenting on a forum is the easy way out.

Live with you got delivered and expect better with the next terminal and if required go over the master plan and give your openion to the management.

ananth9803

May 27th, 2008, 06:04 PM

Devesh

May 27th, 2008, 06:06 PM

well what do you know. Some people want rome to built in a day. Critisism is good but whining is not.

I have been the Airport Technical Expert and observing Bangalore Aviation for the Chamber of Commerce since 1993. I do know the ins and outs of airports, and form my opinions based on real, hard data, and on discussions with the many friends I have within the aviation community, not by reading some newspaper reports.

BIAL chose a cut-over transition, instead of an incremental one proposed. It was their choice, and they have to perform to their obligations. Check my article http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com/2008/05/has-bial-lied-to-bangalore.html.

In my pursuit of the best facilities for Bangalore, I will push BIAL, just as I pushed HAL. In case of BIAL I hold them to a higher "world class" standard, because that is why they promised, and this is what Bangalore needs.

I request you to visit my blog, read all my articles, understand my background, and only then pass judgement.

killerk

May 27th, 2008, 06:19 PM

These kind of glitches are quite common for airports that open with a "bang". When Kochi airport (CIAL) opened, it started with less than 10 flights a day with maybe one or two international flights. Hence there were no controversies there. In India we have a dearth of trained airport staff so it takes time to solve these issues. I am glad the airport has finally opened. That was the biggest hurdle.

In this month's Urban Land Institute's presentation on infrastructure, they were mentioning how only 2 new airports have come up in US after 1975, Denver and Dallas Fort Worth and many in the North like New York's JFK and Chicago's O'Hare are bursting at their seams unlike India where 3 relatively big ones have come up (Kochi, Hyderabad and Bangalore) in the last 15 years and many more small and big ones are to follow. Of course, it is obvious that Dubai (only Dubai, not Abu Dhabi and rest of UAE) and China get all the limelight at these kind of presentations, but they have started mentioning India, a significant advance from 5 years ago.

Anyway I am still waiting to see pictures of the newly opened BIAL (The forumers from Hyderabad were quite prompt in doing so).

Devesh

May 27th, 2008, 06:42 PM

If you were so dissatisfied with the design, planning and construction you had about 4 years to raise your concern.

Live with you got delivered and expect better with the next terminal and if required go over the master plan and give your openion to the management.

First, I agree with SunCity, let us avoid personal attacks.

It appears that you are not fully aware of the facts. The details of the contract were released on the MoCA website a full two years after it was signed, and I do not believe that comments or feedback was invited or even accepted.

I head the Infrastructure Committee for the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Our membership represents 95% of the total industrial capital invested in Karnataka. Not once were we invited to participate, provide views, by, nor were any our suggestions accepted, by BIAL.

I prepared yearly reports including forecasts and analysis for the Chamber, and these used to be submitted to MoCA. My report showing BIAL to be grossly undersized (3.8 million) against a 2008 projected traffic of 8 million, was sent to MoCA in early 2006. It may be coincidence that just two months later Mr. Praful Patel had to force BIAL to expand capacity.

Check my article http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com/2008/05/history-of-passenger-terminal-at-bial.html and http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com/2008/05/has-bial-lied-to-bangalore.html.

Everything is not what it appears in the newspapers, and we need to remember the macro picture and be vigilant in protecting our interests and those of Bangalore. No private investor, domestic, but more especially foreign, has a special love. They are in it for the money.

Mailabode has indicated that the terminal should be expanded. He is absolutely spot-on. It should have been expanded a year ago. Read my article http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com/2008/04/flying-at-time-of-bias-convenience-not.html. Please keep in mind that this article was prepared using BIAL data from the Feb 2008 production file with 448 flights a day. At 341 flights, what HAL was doing, BIAL is already getting cramped. At 448, it will be a 30% increase. This expanded terminal officially began at 11 million in 2006, (where it is now), and over the last 12 months, BIAL claims have inflated this figure to 15 million. At 15 million passengers, it will be 550 flights a day. At 550 flights, it will be a 61% increase over current.

Does anyone reading this post, believe that this terminal can accommodate a 61% increase in traffic without expansion ?

We have spent over Rs. 10,000 Cr. of our money on the BIAL project. We have a right to demand our money's due.

As a parting thought ........ the last terminal expansion that MoCA forced on BIAL was not funded by the private promoters. It was by additional loans and advance "security deposits" from the sub-concessionaires. http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/09/08/stories/2006090802710700.htm.

Prakash KR

May 27th, 2008, 06:49 PM

When Kochi airport (CIAL) opened, it started with less than 10 flights a day with maybe one or two international flights.

unlike India where 3 relatively big ones have come up (Kochi, Hyderabad and Bangalore) in the last 15 years and many more small and big ones are to follow.

Are you trying to compare needs of smaller towns like Kochin with a mega city Bangalore? Kochin airport seems handling only less than 25% of passenger traffic of that handled at Bangalore. It is like comparing elephant with mouse. Please dont bring in your Kochin here. As far as the city of Hyderabad, it is still way behind Bangalore in passenger traffic at only 6 million. Hence, your comparison is useless.

It is unfortunate that BIAL management is not properly attending to the problems mentioned by passengers travelled through BIA.

ananth9803

May 27th, 2008, 07:45 PM

First, I agree with SunCity, let us avoid personal attacks.

It appears that you are not fully aware of the facts. The details of the contract were released on the MoCA website a full two years after it was signed, and I do not believe that comments or feedback was invited or even accepted.

I head the Infrastructure Committee for the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Our membership represents 95% of the total industrial capital invested in Karnataka. Not once were we invited to participate, provide views, by, nor were any our suggestions accepted, by BIAL.

I prepared yearly reports including forecasts and analysis for the Chamber, and these used to be submitted to MoCA. My report showing BIAL to be grossly undersized (3.8 million) against a 2008 projected traffic of 8 million, was sent to MoCA in early 2006. It may be coincidence that just two months later Mr. Praful Patel had to force BIAL to expand capacity.

Check my article http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com/2008/05/history-of-passenger-terminal-at-bial.html and http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com/2008/05/has-bial-lied-to-bangalore.html.

Everything is not what it appears in the newspapers, and we need to remember the macro picture and be vigilant in protecting our interests and those of Bangalore. No private investor, domestic, but more especially foreign, has a special love. They are in it for the money.

Mailabode has indicated that the terminal should be expanded. He is absolutely spot-on. It should have been expanded a year ago. Read my article http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com/2008/04/flying-at-time-of-bias-convenience-not.html. Please keep in mind that this article was prepared using BIAL data from the Feb 2008 production file with 448 flights a day. At 341 flights, what HAL was doing, BIAL is already getting cramped. At 448, it will be a 30% increase. This expanded terminal officially began at 11 million in 2006, (where it is now), and over the last 12 months, BIAL claims have inflated this figure to 15 million. At 15 million passengers, it will be 550 flights a day. At 550 flights, it will be a 61% increase over current.

Does anyone reading this post, believe that this terminal can accommodate a 61% increase in traffic without expansion ?

We have spent over Rs. 10,000 Cr. of our money on the BIAL project. We have a right to demand our money's due.

As a parting thought ........ the last terminal expansion that MoCA forced on BIAL was not funded by the private promoters. It was by additional loans and advance "security deposits" from the sub-concessionaires. http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/09/08/stories/2006090802710700.htm.

Wow!!! There you go - answers to all questions from a very credible source!!! What irritates me after having seen the numbers you mentioned is, that BIAL just wanted to race for an earlier opening date. Ideally, it should have expanded for 8-10 million passengers in the 1st phase and then thrown open the airport to the public. Trying to do that with a partially operational airport will be a nightmare for the users as well as the workers!!! It was a good thing that some sort of expansion was forced onto the airport, otherwise users would just have another HAL plus the extra distance (which they probably have already!!!!)

killerk

May 27th, 2008, 10:26 PM

Are you trying to compare needs of smaller towns like Kochin with a mega city Bangalore? Kochin airport seems handling only less than 25% of passenger traffic of that handled at Bangalore. It is like comparing elephant with mouse. Please dont bring in your Kochin here. As far as the city of Hyderabad, it is still way behind Bangalore in passenger traffic at only 6 million. Hence, your comparison is useless.

It is unfortunate that BIAL management is not properly attending to the problems mentioned by passengers travelled through BIA.

Who told u I am from Kochi? I always maintain a neutral stand and as a neutral observer and since I know fundamental Economics, it is only natural I mention Kochi airport here as all the establishments that did their initial planning studies for HIAL and BIAL used CIAL as their reference. If u do not know, it was the 1st Public private partnership airport in India and if u have doubts about this u can ask the people who published the first feasibility report for BIAL at Ernst and Young as to the part played by the CIAL model in the development of BIAL.
and FYI according to genuine statistics, CIAL is the fourth largest International airport in India, way above BIAL. Now some people consider only flights to Europe and US as international flights. Not me.

and then again institutions like the Harvard Business School teach CIAL in their course curriculum not BIAL.....
http://www.ksgcase.harvard.edu/casetitle.asp?caseNo=1650.2

do u know that Frankfurt is the fourth largest city in Germany with the largest airport in mainland Europe? there are three other way bigger cities there but i dont hear anyone there saying don't compare Munich to Berlin.

Atlanta in US is the 35th largest city in US but the busiest airport in the world.

So any comparison is possible. What matters is how open a person is in accepting it.

mailabode

May 27th, 2008, 10:53 PM

ramkan

May 28th, 2008, 12:31 AM

Wow!!! There you go - answers to all questions from a very credible source!!! What irritates me after having seen the numbers you mentioned is, that BIAL just wanted to race for an earlier opening date. Ideally, it should have expanded for 8-10 million passengers in the 1st phase and then thrown open the airport to the public. Trying to do that with a partially operational airport will be a nightmare for the users as well as the workers!!! It was a good thing that some sort of expansion was forced onto the airport, otherwise users would just have another HAL plus the extra distance (which they probably have already!!!!)

Ananth & Devesh, appreciate your insights and feedback.

Playing a devil's advocate here. If you were to run a company (BIAL), why would you keep on extending your project scope and scale without putting to use the infrastructure that is getting build. Remember it is not BIAL's fault that this project took 17 years to see the light. If you are heading this company and looking for investments to expand, do you think you can raise debt with no returns in foreseeable future and not to mention the uncertainity of this project (Remember NICE project, and how politics play a spoilsport)?

Think BIAL as a general contractor for this project. Ofcourse corporates look after share holders interests and look for profit. If we want to have world class infrastructure, we should be willing to pay for it. If we cannot pay(see the hue and cry about UDF) for it, then why be so ambitious about large scale projects. AAI with all its wisdom has been running cow sheds for years without any thought of planning. We are accustomed to over-use the infrastructure and used to under-plan the infrastructure requirements for everything whether it is roads, railways or airports. Why pinpoint blame on just BIAL?

May be second airport is the answer to capacity constraints. I am not against second airport, nor against pin pointing issues with BIAL. I mean to highlight the bigger picture and the govt needs to take the blame to a larger extent.

krinix

May 28th, 2008, 03:39 AM

I have been the Airport Technical Expert and observing Bangalore Aviation for the Chamber of Commerce since 1993. I do know the ins and outs of airports, and form my opinions based on real, hard data, and on discussions with the many friends I have within the aviation community, not by reading some newspaper reports.

BIAL chose a cut-over transition, instead of an incremental one proposed. It was their choice, and they have to perform to their obligations. Check my article http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com/2008/05/has-bial-lied-to-bangalore.html.

In my pursuit of the best facilities for Bangalore, I will push BIAL, just as I pushed HAL. In case of BIAL I hold them to a higher "world class" standard, because that is why they promised, and this is what Bangalore needs.

I request you to visit my blog, read all my articles, understand my background, and only then pass judgement.

I appreciate what you are doing. But I will not read your blog either. Its too critical and biased.
Well we have posters who are vary of the fact that BIAL has few shortcomings, and most of them can be and should be resolved within a month (Aerobridges, Toilet, Baggage Handling, Passenger transportation).
The BIG problem is the size and capacity. Lets not forget BIAL has seen more twists and turns than a bollywood film, from the day work began.

Ofcourse Siemens Project Ventures, Larsen and Toubro and Unique Zurich airport all wanted big money. There's money to be made in india.
But these companies are marquee of todays world, A good showing here would boost their image and more projects coming there way. Wont it?

Albert brunner having lived in bangalore knows, that Media and public will not spare him, if the BIAL doesnt improve and if its known, better could have been done.

Go easy on it man,You sound as if it is a catastrophe and its the end.
You make me think that you are one of those cargo companies who lost big when HAL closed. Well its just a thought.

Well if BIAL is the same even after 2 months, I would just not be plain blunt or critial, i'll search for means to improve and get the mesage across

I will just not conclude that our money has been wasted, and they are eating more by asking us to pay UDF.

On a sider note:
What do you for a living?

genialgiant

May 28th, 2008, 03:51 AM

Blues galore at Bengaluru International Airport

SAME TEETHING PROBLEMS

The newly opened airport has been dogged by ground-handling hitches – which are causing flight delays.

Madhumathi D.S.
Ashwini Phadnis
Advertisement

Bangalore/New Delhi, May 27 Aerobridges don’t connect, ladders can’t be pushed in time to the aircraft, baggage takes one to two hours to show up and flight schedules are going haywire. Welcome to the new Bengaluru International Airport.

The operator and hundreds of airport users are discovering the harsh ground realities. It has not been smooth sailing for BIA after it began operations on May 24. The operator, Bangalore International Airport Ltd, plays it down as the teething troubles of a new airport.

If the old HAL airport that closed down on May 24 was notorious for congestion in the air which added to the flying time, the newly opened airport 40 km away has been dogged by ground-handling hitches – which, too, are causing flight delays. Half-a-dozen low cost carrier and full-service airlines that Business Line spoke to admitted this on condition of anonymity. BIAL has picked Air India-SATS and GlobeGround as its ground handlers.

A common complaint is that flights are getting delayed by 45-60 minutes and refuelling is getting hit; most flights touch Bangalore and ground delays here cascade down to rest of the schedules.

The CEO of a low-cost carrier (LCC) confirmed, “We have taken some delays due to ground handling. This, however, is not unusual when a new airport opens.”

BIAL itself admitted that ground handling was a major problem. The situation was improving each day and, “We will iron out the teething problems within a week of operations”, it said.

Passengers complained of lack of co-ordination among services post or pre-flight; lack of information on flight arrivals and departures at the airport, apart from a long walk to the taxi/bus bays when they finally got out.

Take this elderly couple arriving from Nairobi via a GoAir flight from Mumbai on Tuesday. The flight landed on time at 10.10 a.m. but passengers had to wait for 30 minutes for the ladder. Those receiving them had no information on flight arrival. Baggage took them another half-an-hour. Once outside an hour later, they were clueless about the transport to city.

According to a BIAL spokesperson, even as early as in the first 18 hours, “The start-up team has reported that operations have been satisfactory in comparison with other such transitions around the world”. The personnel and the equipment were new and acclimatisation was taking time.

One LCC said one of its flights which arrived a few minutes late had its departure delayed by 35 minutes as ground-handlers could not get a wheel chair for a passenger. A Mumbai-based full-service carrier said the ground situation had not matured since Day 1, which itself was riddled with communication lapses.

Yet another LCC source blamed it on poor infrastructure for all airport services. Its view: “The onus lies largely with the operator, who controls 80 per cent of the critical functional aspects, who should give enough space for back-end operations. The planning has been beautiful but the integration has been nightmarish.”

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/05/28/stories/2008052851571000.htm

Distance’ shadow looms large on Bangalore airport
Reema Jose
Posted online: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 2202 hrs

Bangalore, May 27A 71,000 sq ft terminal building, 53 check-in-counters and 18 kiosks, a capacity to handle 341 flights a day and 12 million passengers annually… passengers used to the cramped HAL airport in Bangalore could not have asked for more. But the new Bengaluru International Airport, situated in Devanahalli, 40 km away from the main city and a good 70 km from the industry backyard Electronic City, is anything but a passengers’ delight.

The two-hour journey on the Volvo bus, even at 8.30 am when road traffic is still not chaotic, is tiresome. The state-run buses are a must, owing to the distance. A few passengers, first time travellers to the Bengaluru International Airport, looked apprehensive. A Mumbai-based businessman Pravin Kumar wondered whether the bus would reach in time for his flight at 11.15am. “This new airport is slightly too far,” murmured Kumar, a thought vehemently expressed by many citizen activists and non-government organisations in the past few months in Bangalore. The airport had waded through many controversies-including PILs seeking retention of old airport, seeking its renaming to “Kempegowda” and higher job allocation for locals-before it was commissioned on May 24 post-mid night.

“The airport looks neat,” said a co-passenger, alighting the bus at one of the 10 bays at the airport, allotted for the state’s Bangalore International Airport Service (BIAS) buses. In addition to the bus bays, the airport’s car parking facilities would accommodate 2,700 cars.

No auto rickshaws are allowed within 5 km of the aerodrome, lessening the traffic and voice commotion to an extent. But it adds to the transportation woes. The Volvos are the only affordable mode of transport from and to the airport. While the Volvo charged between Rs 80 and Rs 200 to the airport, the taxis charged at a rate of Rs 15 per km and a waiting charge of Rs 60 per hour.

At the airport terminal, a Go-Air executive mentioned that the technical issues on the first day had caused much difficulty to the passengers and the airline staff. “The airport is settling down. Some issues, like ground handling, are yet to be sorted out. In terms of capacity and infrastructure, this is better than Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL),” he said.

Another passenger Thrupthi Nair, who had flown from Chennai to Devanahalli, said the idea of retaining short-hauls at HAL was tempting. “The next time I go to Chennai, I will board a train,” she said, adding, “It makes no sense to travel for nearly two hours to catch a 30-minute flight.

Prominent corporate crowd in the city, representing companies including Biocon, Infosys and Wipro jointly flay the distantly placed airport. An airport based 40 km away from the city in Devanahalli, will not work in favour of Bangalore, they said. “Our clients are already demanding that we keep meetings in other cities like Chennai,” according to Sudip Banerjee, president- enterprise solutions at Wipro. For those living in the centre of Bangalore, close to Vidhan Soudha and the commercial centre around MG Road, the travel to the new airport takes at least an hour or more.

A BIAL spokeperson said operations would become smoother with time. “The transition to the new airport was decent for one of such large scale. We are sorting out pending issues,” the spokesperson told FE. The HAL airport, which suspended commercial flying the day the Devanahalli airport started operations, has served Bangalore since 1980 and outgrew its capacity of 3.5 million to touch 10 million passengers annually.

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Distance-shadow-looms-large-on-Bangalore-airport/315330/#

BIAL woes: Passengers raise security concerns
DH News Service ,Bangalore:
Much like its developmental phase, the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) seems to be facing one constraint or the other soon after opening.

Right from Day One, the swanky new airport has been on everyone’s radar especially the passengers who have been quite vocal about the facilities or the lack of it at the airport.
Adding to the problems related to ATC malfunctions, delays, chaos and bird hits, passengers had fresh complaints against the facilities at the airport. This time it was a serious allegation which could be catastrophic if not heeded to in time.
Passengers complained that the security at the airport was not up to international standards and that several loopholes existed in the security cover.
Passengers who alighted and took off from the BIA told Deccan Herald that the security arrangements especially at the baggage handling areas were unimpressive.
Norms not followed
“The norms followed at all International airports across the world is that as soon as they enter the airport, the passengers’ hand baggage are screened, but there is no such thing at the BIA. Soon after immigration clearance they go to the baggage claim area which does not comply to international procedures,” said an Emirates passenger.
Another passenger saw an open door near the Conveyer belt No 7 unattended. The passenger claimed that the door led to outside the airport terminal.
Meanwhile, BIAL has said that security is paramount and that there are 770 CISF personnel deployed at BIAL for airport security purposes and that this is bound to increase to 1039 including the land side security.
The security provided by the CISF is said to employ security procedures in sync with ICAO so that passenger satisfaction level is at par with international airports.

Flight delays

A few flight delays were reported at the airport, which according to sources were not due to ATC failure. The sources attributed it to air bridges as the staff were not trained and well equipped to handle passengers of this density.

http://deccanherald.com/Content/May282008/state2008052870376.asp

No space for cargo agents
DH News Service ,Bangalore :
The commercial operations at the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) might have commenced last week providing air commuters finally an opportunity to fly in and out of the much delayed airport.

But, for the Cargo fraternity it is still a long way before they get to use the cargo facilities at the airport. “The Cargo fraternity is unhappy as there is no office space and warehouse for cargo agents. It’s very challenging for our trade as our staff have to travel almost almost 80 kms up and down, spending half a day travelling, which could have been avoided if they had provided office space,” Bangalore Air Cargo Club president Nirmal Singh Sandhu told Deccan Herald.
The Cargo fraternity which is presently operating from their old offices at the HAL Airport say that they have to shell out Rs 250 to 300 to each of staff for their travelling and other expenses. Besides, most of them also end up paying overtime wages, said representatives from the Cargo Industry.
The Cargo fraternity said they were assured of space at the airport by the BIAL during the time of the airport opening date. However, it has been postponed till June.
Monopoly promoted:
They were also annoyed with BIAL’s decision to provide office space only to one MNC Company, which they said, was unfair. “The whole trade is struggling to get a little space to operate day-to-day business. We don't know on what criteria BIAL has decided to provide this space to just one company. There were no bidding of any sort while awarding the space to the MNC’s,” said Sandhu.
The representatives say that the things will further complicate and that the air cargo operators would meet this week to take a final decision on the next course of action.

http://deccanherald.com/Content/May282008/state2008052870377.asp

Hyderabad flight goes missing
DH News Service ,Bangalore :
Passengers who were to board an Indian flight to Hyderabad at the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) on Monday claimed that the aircraft which they were to board went missing and could not be located for 45 minutes.

Fifteen minutes prior to departure, passengers who were waiting to board Indian flight IC915 to Hyderabad said that the aircraft could not be located even by the airline staff and ground staff. Eventually, the aircraft was reportedly located at an outer parking position.

Poor facilities

Passengers of the flight blamed the poor facilities at the airport for the chaos.
However, Indian officials refuted the allegations. “The claim by passengers that IC 915 to Hyderabad was missing is false. When the aircraft is not airborne how can the question of it going missing arise? Beside, when an aircraft flies it has to report every 15 minutes to the flight information centre,” said an Indian spokesman.

Safe landing

“The aircraft took off with full load of passengers and landed at Hyderabad safely. The passengers were not accustomed to the facilities at the airport. There are some teething problems at the new airport due to the transition phase, but they are reducing day by day,” he added.

http://deccanherald.com/Content/May282008/state2008052870378.asp

For one, international airlines, which fly widebody aircraft, unlike domestic carriers, cannot park their planes even if one aerobridge is free. Reason: although BIA has eight aerobridges, only 4-5 widebody aircraft can park because the space in between hasn’t been accounted for.

Incredible!!! All this Swiss experience to this end?

GROUND REALITIES
It’s 4 days since BIA took off. While teething troubles plague the airport, critical infrastructure issues have come to the fore now. But BIAL insists it is functioning smoothly. Anshul Dhamija reports
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: Four days into operations, the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) is still grappling with the city’s robust air traffic.

Though the lack of onsite manpower and delays at every step could be sighed away as teething troubles, serious infrastructure issues are hampering airlines’ business.
International airlines that were waiting for the BIA to open, after suffering HAL’s limited space, are now applauding the latter’s efficiency and facilities.

For one, international airlines, which fly widebody aircraft, unlike domestic carriers, cannot park their planes even if one aerobridge is free. Reason: although BIA has eight aerobridges, only 4-5 widebody aircraft can park because the space in between hasn’t been accounted for.
As the BIA has a common parking area for international and domestic aircraft, incoming international airlines have to wait for two aerobridges to free up to park at one of them.

On May 25, a leading South-East Asian airline, after landing, had to wait for close to 45 minutes in the taxi-bay area before two aerobridges fell vacant. Due to this, other incoming and outgoing aircraft were delayed.

“I don’t know how BIA claims to be an international airport when basic infrastructure has not been put in place. Even though HAL had only three dedicated aerobridges for international flights, one could park wide-body aircraft next to each other,” said an official of a leading international airline. What’s hurting the airlines is that idling on the taxiway is burning up precious fuel. Further, BIA charges Rs 10,000 for the use of its aerobridges for a maximum of 90 minutes, something the old HAL airport never charged for. With constant delays, airlines have to shell out lot more money.

Besides this, airline officials are also seeing red over delays in baggage claim.
“Baggage drop-off points at the terminal building are so narrow that only one tractor can unload containers at a time. During peak-hour traffic, one finds more than six tractors, carrying luggage of different airlines, lined up one after another, causing delays of over an hour,’’ said an airline official.

“In our daily reports to headquarters, we have written that delays out of Bangalore are not in the airline’s control, but due to the lack of infrastructure at the new airport,” said a senior international airline official who has to send a report card explaining delays.
Since the airport has opened, TOI has received over 10 complaints per day, in the form of letters, emails and telephone calls, from passengers complaining about the lack of professionalism shown by BIAL.

In an SMS, one passenger said, “BIA is the most horrible new airport I’ve seen in 15 years. I’m seriously considering filing PIL against this unprofessional airport operator.”

Meeting on the cards

With airlines getting agitated over delays at the new airport, senior domestic and international airline officials are considering a one-on-one talk with BIA’s promoters.

Sources said the meeting will focus on the lack of infrastructure at the new airport. “We need to sit down with BIAL and ask them how we (the airlines) should cope with the dismal infrastructure. The airport must be upgraded at the earliest to ease the delays,’’said an airline source.

ATC WOES

BIA’s infamous air-traffic control (ATC) tower is causing a lot of heartburn to airlines. After facing malfunctions on the first day of the airport’s take off, halting airtraffic movement for over 60 minutes, the ATC continues to cause delays. The crucial flight-plan link terminals, which communicate a departing aircraft’s flight path to onward airports, shuts down often. BIA’s ATC is also having problems communicating with the ATC at the Chennai airport. According to airline officials, it takes 30-45 minutes for BIA’s ATC to communicate and receive responses from Chennai’s ATC. There are over 22 daily flights between Chennai and Bangalore per day. Moreover, South-East Asian airlines have to get a permit from Chennai airport ATC as their flight path crosses its airspace.

Everything is fine, says BIAL

Bangalore: The promoters of the BIA have responded to the issues raised by airlines, denying that infrastructure problems exist.

In an e-mail to TOI, BIAL said, “The new airport has four aerobridges for wide-body aircraft. But wide-body aircraft also function from remote parking positions like it happens the world over. Normally, we do not have more than four widebody aircraft at the same time (within a timespan of 1.5-2 hours).”

With regard to the delay in baggage due to space constraints at baggage drop-off points, BIAL said, “This cannot be true as the route to the baggage break-up area has four lanes — two each for entry and exit. There were initial glitches with the ground-handling process, which, in turn, had an impact on the overall operations chain, causing delay.”

On issues relating to the constant malfunctioning of BIA’s ATC, the airport operator clarified that “the ATC is functioning well. The initial glitches that we faced were due to ground-handling issues. A special task force is identifying and addressing any issues with regard to operations. We have taken action to ensure better ground-handling.”

krinix

May 28th, 2008, 04:26 AM

On a postive note. Vayu Vajra's have been like a beacon of light on a dark night.

krinix

May 28th, 2008, 04:46 AM

For one, international airlines, which fly widebody aircraft, unlike domestic carriers, cannot park their planes even if one aerobridge is free. Reason: although BIA has eight aerobridges, only 4-5 widebody aircraft can park because the space in between hasn’t been accounted for.

Incredible!!! All this Swiss experience to this end?

Yeah quite dissapointing and unexpected news isnt it. :bash:
These are serious issues.

genialgiant

May 28th, 2008, 04:56 AM

And on top of that, BIAL has the gall to make statements like "But wide-body aircraft also function from remote parking positions like it happens the world over. " Yes, perhaps from airports in Africa, not in cities aspiring to be modern, global hubs of commerce which are connected by multiple international airlines flying wide-body aircraft that need to board and de-board 300+ passengers in quick time.

genialgiant

May 28th, 2008, 04:56 AM

Imagine the chaos if an A380 landed at BIA.

genialgiant

May 28th, 2008, 05:28 AM

Positive opinion:

http://www.agiledeveloper.com/blog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=299fbc1b-9263-441f-947d-d68e51e5d660

Suncity

May 28th, 2008, 05:32 AM

In all the 'excitement' we probably missed this one:

New Bangalore airport handles 341 flights Day 1

http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14680622

The Bengaluru International Airport on Saturday handled 341 air traffic movements, including 172 arrivals and 159 departures, setting a record of sorts on the inaugural day of commercial operations.

"It was business as usual on Day 1. Though a weekend, we have been well prepared to handle the heavy traffic from the new airport. The air traffic control guided about 100 aircraft in landing and taking off during the first 24 hours of commencing the operations," a spokesperson of the airport operator, Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), told IANS.

The Rs 2,500-crore swanky airport at Devanahalli, about 40 km from India's IT hub, took to wings in the wee hours of Saturday, with state-run Air India flying the first aircraft to Singapore 15 minutes past Friday midnight (00.15 IST) amid euphoria and anxiety over the arrival of other aircraft in the odd hours due to the simultaneous closure of the old airport in the city.

"The first 18 hours of day one operations have been satisfactory in comparison to other such transitions the world over. Teething problems apart, the operational take-off has been smooth. The glitches will be tackled within a week," BIAL said in a statement later.

The poor connectivity between the gridlocked city and the new airport did not impact much the vehicular movement due to less traffic on the weekend. The magnitude of the connectivity problem will be known on working days from Monday, as the arterial road to the airport is used by vehicles hitting the National Highway No.7 towards Hyderabad.

"Concerns over traffic ordeal and long delays in reaching the airport were cast away by many passengers, as the average time taken from the city or suburbs varied between 60 minutes and 90 minutes. The frequent shuttle service of state-run transport corporation buses between city points and the airport was in great demand from many outgoing and in-coming passengers," the spokesperson pointed out.

The operator also denied that air traffic controller (ATC) services were disrupted earlier in the day and said flight operations were normal.

Somewhat related albeit from a foreign perspective

India's politicians pay the price for ignoring booming urban economy

http://news.scotsman.com/world/India39s-politicians-pay-the-price.4113898.jp

IT HAS been a frustrating time for many businesses in India's IT hub of Bangalore. Endless traffic jams, sporadic power, a chaotic airport and many politicians who just couldn't give a damn.

For four years, Karnataka state, home to India's "silicon valley", was ruled by a chaotic coalition with a regional party. Janata Dal (S)'s support base was among farmers, and politicians were criticised for ignoring Bangalore's IT "elites".

The ADVERTISEMENTresult: more decrepit public transport, four-hour commutes, packed roads and blackouts that have taken some gleam off this city as it faces increasing competition for foreign investment from rival cities such as Manila.

Now many executives hope that state elections, which ended this week with the count starting on 25 May, may offer hope by bringing in politicians who will address companies' grievances.

It is not just about political pie-in-the-sky promises.

Karnataka elections have been held under a new constituency map. The first new map in decades, it gives more political weight to urban India and its business workers and could weaken India's traditionally pro-rural politicians as the country prepares for general elections within the year.

Bangalore is still booming. Shopping malls and offices sprout up. But the worry is that the pace of growth is outstripping infrastructure to a degree that may force companies to move elsewhere.

Ashok Kheny, a businessman, has unsuccessfully battled for years to finish a £350 million road. It was a landmark deal, India's first privately-funded highway that would connect Bangalore with Mysore, 70 miles away.

But more than 338 lawsuits later and vocal opposition from Janata Dal (S), the project is only half-finished and may now cost about £500 million

Faced with such infrastructure bottlenecks and rising property costs, firms like Infosys Technologies, India's second-largest software services exporter, and its top biotechnology firm, Biocon – both of which have their headquarters in Bangalore – are mulling expansion projects outside the city.

Last month, Infosys said it would invest about £60 million in a new development centre in the eastern city of Kolkata.

"Nothing has been done in the last four to five years and we're worried Bangalore will lose competitiveness. Companies are expanding to other places," said Raghavendra Shastry, the head of Getit Infomediary, the Yellow Pages publisher in Bangalore, adding that some firms were eyeing Manila for outsourcing. "And it's not Bangalore that will lose business, it's India."

It is the microcosm of a wider problem in Asia's third largest economy, where poor infrastructure has investors worried it will soon slow India's breakneck economic growth.

"Janata Dal (S) has realised its mistake of ignoring Bangalore," said Subir Roy, an editor of the Business Standard in Bangalore.

Villagers no longer hold sway under India's revised political map. Previously India's constituencies were based on a 1971 census, when India was hugely rural. The new vote is based on a 2001 census, when millions had migrated to the cities. Bangalore has more than doubled its state assembly seats to 28, now more than 10 per cent of the seats.

"Traditionally in India, the perception of being a pro-urban politician was a kiss of death," said V Ravichandar, the managing director of Feedback Consulting in Bangalore, which advises multinationals across India. "Now, for example, there isn't one qualified urban planner in the city or state government. But parties are responding to a new urban reality, and a middle class is finding its voice."

genialgiant

May 28th, 2008, 05:33 AM

Having inadequate rest room capacity is absolutely inexcusable.

http://1wordaday.blogspot.com/2008/05/bangalores-new-airport-is-super-flop.html

Bangalore's new airport is a super flop!

The Good News first! Much Hyped, Much Delayed and Much Feared Bangalore International Airport is now operational, And now the bad news - it is a disaster!

Here is the list of 10 most disastrous aspects of the Airport

1) It took us 1 hr to reach the Airport from Central Bangalore area, in almost zero traffic conditions, just guess the real time with the bad! bad! Bangalore Traffic.

2) The route to new airport is highly polluted, as it is National Highway - 4, no trees or any kind of greenery. just big trucks, and cemented road. This will add to the stress and frustration.

3) The airport building is a block of cement, with no design or any aesthetic value at all. No curves, no exciting forms on contrary it's just a block shaped building with lots of glass.

4) Inside the Building, there is hardly any space for people to sit or relax. From the day one the place is looking overcrowded. It took us 15 minutes to find 3 empty seats together in a row.

5) The Toilets are very small, to describe the Men's Loo, there are only 4 urinals, in the loo. which makes it an almost 15 minute wait, before you get to do it! God saves the people with emergency calls!

6) The Graphics inside the Airport Suck! The signage and the other info graphics are very badly done, with no element of Indian Culture or any kind of aesthetic value.

7) The area surrounding the airport looks like Sahara desert, the brown & dusty landscape is all you can see. Can we have some trees or greenery please?

8) FOOD!, woah we had a plate of Idly (2 small idlis served with water like sambhar) for 80 Rupees. Food is very expensive inside the airport. After spending all the money on the Taxi to airport, I am sure not many people will be able to afford it.

9) Tommy Hilfiger, Esprit, Crossword etc. While people don't have any place to sit, most of our Airport space is occupied by these luxury brands. You can easily mistake the First floor of the Airport with the Forum Mall.

10) There is nothing Indian in this airport, which represents our core values; or which tells the world, that we are no longer a developing nation.

To summarize; the Bangalore new international Airport is both functionally & aesthetically very poor. My suggestion to cities developing new airports. Please come and see this airport, to know, how not to build an airport.

Suncity

May 28th, 2008, 05:52 AM

Airport maps from the BIAL website -

Ground Floor

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/1807/groundfloorplanbialvq5.jpg

First Floor

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/5522/firstfloorbialnm4.jpg

Parking Map

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/5148/parkingmapbialjg9.jpg

Arul Murugan

May 28th, 2008, 06:01 AM

Trains getting preference over flights
Remember how low-cost airlines had once attracted many train passengers? The Chennai - Bangalore sector is now seeing a reversal of that trend.[May 27 2008]

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/archivesearch.aspx

Chennai-Bangalore sector will loose it passenger to trains if Shadabdi runs by 4 hrs bwtween these two metro cities.

Now 2 shadabdi's are running!!

krinix

May 28th, 2008, 06:17 AM

Too much space for Retail on 1st Floor.

ananth9803

May 28th, 2008, 06:46 AM

What is this? A mall? Looks like the designers of BIAL had their priorities completely wrong....On one side we have news coming in that wide-bodied aircrafts are not being handled at aerobridges and at the other we have a whole floor dedicated to retail.......Why couldn't they put in their resources in designing a more functional airport which actually did what it was built for!!!!!!!!!

noobntleygik

May 28th, 2008, 07:19 AM

I dont want to sound like a BIAL apologist, but,

#1)the aerobridges--->if BIAL had gone for a radical redesign of this terminal after the aviation boom it would have meant a lot delays in the design and approval process...it would probably have been delayed by an year or more...

#2)the cramped terminal--->a)there is an Oberoi under construction A 321 room five star hotel has been proposed as part of the airport complex, opposite the main terminal building. This hotel, owned and operated jointly by Oberoi Hotels and Larsen & Toubro under the Trident Hilton brand, is scheduled for opening in November 2008. It will comprise extensive business facilities in addition to three restaurants, a lounge bar, banquet room and health spa.....b)the Kingfisher lounge(and maybe others too) is yet to open....c)passengers are getting there ridiculously early fearing connectivity issues...

BUT, there is simply NO time to waste on sorting out the security loophole and this, if true, in my opinion,is grounds for SACKING the BIAL management...

Also,there is no point complaining about the dust around the airport or the bland design...there will be swanky commercial office buildings replacing the dust soon---> http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Transportation/Airlines__Aviation/Govt_to_consider_Bangalore_airport_SEZ_proposal_on_May_1/rssarticleshow/2987264.cms

also,BIAL should be taken to task for bad maintainance of the toilets...

cheers...:cheers:

krinix

May 28th, 2008, 07:25 AM

II dont want to sound like a BIAL apologist, but,

#1)the aerobridges...if BIAL had gone for a radical redesign of this terminal it would have meant a lot delays in the design and approval process...it would probably have been delayed by an year or more...

#2)the cramped terminal...

a)there is an Oberoi under construction

b)the Kingfisher lounge(and maybe others too) is yet to open

c)passengers are getting there ridiculously early fearing connectivity issues...

BUT, there is simply NO time to waste on sorting out the security loophole and this, if true, in my opinion,is grounds for SACKING the BIAL management...

Also,there is no point complaining about the dust around the airport or the bland design...there will be swanky commercial office buildings replacing the dust soon---> http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Transportation/Airlines__Aviation/Govt_to_consider_Bangalore_airport_SEZ_proposal_on_May_1/rssarticleshow/2987264.cms

also,BIAL should be taken to task for bad maintainance of the toilets...

cheers...:cheers:

Agree with you. BIAL now has to make sure all those small things are looked into right away.

I read some where that two idlis and a water cost 80 rupees? This is good old robbery.

Prakash KR

May 28th, 2008, 08:04 AM

FYI according to genuine statistics, CIAL is the fourth largest International airport in India, way above BIAL.

Excuse me... which data you have? The only airports in India whose passenger traffic crossed 10 million mark are Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. Airports that have crossed 5 million mark include Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. :bash:

Now some people consider only flights to Europe and US as international flights. Not me.

Definitely not me either. But let me tell you frankly that from my previous experience I would avoid travelling to or through Gulf countries like plague.. And it maynot be coincidence that all Kochin flights only go towards GULF which explains everything...You know quality of travel along with the coolies to gulf.. :lol:..may be better to swim to those gulf countries than travelling like fishloads on those planes..

So any comparison is possible. What matters is how open a person is in accepting it.

Please understand we are talking about BIAL and Bangalore going to be the third hub of India with its huge potential due to its tremendous passenger traffic growth. BIAL on its opening date has handled probably more aircrafts on one day than your Kochin airport handling one week. Please bring in apple to apple comparison on airports based on passenger traffic.

Prakash KR

May 28th, 2008, 08:08 AM

Yes what you said is the better way- i have mentioned it in 4) i.e, moving to HAL for 6 months, i suggest a year and HAL can be under the complete charge of BIAL for the period(the retailers also would move there temporarily)- .

Thank you for supporting my previous views on HAL airport, though lately now.
BIAL badly needs second phase work to begin by now to cope with Bangalore passenger traffic growth or allow HAL airport to function till BIAL can handle this growth comfortably.

Devesh

May 28th, 2008, 09:06 AM

Ananth & Devesh, appreciate your insights and feedback.

Playing a devil's advocate here. If you were to run a company (BIAL), why would you keep on extending your project scope and scale without putting to use the infrastructure that is getting build. Remember it is not BIAL's fault that this project took 17 years to see the light. If you are heading this company and looking for investments to expand, do you think you can raise debt with no returns in foreseeable future and not to mention the uncertainity of this project (Remember NICE project, and how politics play a spoilsport)?

Think BIAL as a general contractor for this project. Ofcourse corporates look after share holders interests and look for profit. If we want to have world class infrastructure, we should be willing to pay for it. If we cannot pay(see the hue and cry about UDF) for it, then why be so ambitious about large scale projects. AAI with all its wisdom has been running cow sheds for years without any thought of planning. We are accustomed to over-use the infrastructure and used to under-plan the infrastructure requirements for everything whether it is roads, railways or airports. Why pinpoint blame on just BIAL?

May be second airport is the answer to capacity constraints. I am not against second airport, nor against pin pointing issues with BIAL. I mean to highlight the bigger picture and the govt needs to take the blame to a larger extent.

Ramkan,

Thanks for the compliment. :)

BIAL was brought in to change the under-plan, over-use mentality and provide "world class" infrastructure. If we are going to experience similar (may not be cow shed), conditions at BIAL, then why spend the 10,000 Cr ?

I do not know where you got a figure of 17 years. BIAL was selected only in 2001 after the Tata-Changi venture pulled out. Between 2001 and 2004 were concession agreement discussions. The CA was signed in mid 2004. BIAL then went about getting the finance and achieved financial closure on in June 2005.

So their money, what little they put in, was put to use only starting in mid 2005.

The simple fact of the matter is that they expected to start with a 4.5 million capacity airport, and in the 3 years they have spent building the airport, air traffic in Bangalore has increase 255%, and you have to keep in mind, this was in the "restrained" conditions of HAL airport.

There is no infrastructure project in the world that can plan for this level of growth, let alone accommodate it.

BIAL simply does not have the funds, may be out of desire, or god-forbid, ability, to invest more.

In my visit report article, http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com/2008/05/bial-airport-visit-report.html, I quote from "I was aghast to see very little movement space for the baggage trolleys and their attendant tugs. Life for the baggage handlers will be tough, especially in peak hours. I observed a lot of wasted space in between the columns, and I could not figure out the use, nor get any clear answer."

I have been harping on capacity since 2006. See this Deccan Herald article July 17, 2006. http://www.deccanherald.com/Archives/jul172006/city1956242006716.asp.

At that time, Mr. Brunner projected the traffic on opening date at 8.5 million, against my projection of 8 million, and indicated a terminal capacity of little over 10 million. Today, opening day traffic is 10.5 million.

This same terminal claimed to be at 10+ million capacity is now being quoted at 14~15 million capacity, without any change ?!?!?!

If you look at my various posts, I have been highlighting few areas that are tight. (1) Baggage inbound (2) Baggage Make-up outbound (3) Misinterpretation of capacities (4) Runway capacity (5) Apron Capacity.

If you see today, these are precisely the pain areas of BIAL. Just to highlight

3. Misinterpretation - BIAL shows 8 contact gates (i.e. with aerobridge). The map also shows that only 5 wide bodies can be parked. 1 is dedicated domestic, so effectively only 4 international flights can be accommodated since most international flights are wide bodies.

2. Baggage Make-up - this is also connected to the baggage make-up area for international whose check in is extended, and due to multiple destinations beyond the transit point, they cannot just load all the baggage in to containers sequentially.

3. Runway capacity - the maximum allowed by IATA for a runway with 2 rapid exit taxiways is 550. With 1 it is 500, and with 0 it is 450. BIAL has only 1 RE on runway 09 and 2 on Rwy 27. In winter, which is also peak season, the NE winds force use of Rwy 09 mostly. So therefore the expansion ability of BIAL is only 10%. If you put this to the 40% growth we are having, how soon do you think, we run out of capacity ?

4. Apron - BIAL has 42 bays. HAL had 39. Is this a serious expansion ?

We are being shown a facade of a modern looking terminal building, just like the "Hawa Mahal". No point having a fancy terminal if the foundations are shaky.

On behalf of the Chamber, I have sat at HAL airport for nights on end, and helped AAI and HAL analyse the operations, streamline it, put up proposals to MoCA for increased capacity. My report prepared in 2004, was submitted to Mr. Patel in Aero India 2005 by Chamber Presidents past and present along with Mr. PGR Scindhia. Mr. Patel took that report, went to airport next day, and immediately sanctioned very crucially needed equipment like trolleys etc., and CISF staff. He also demanded a terminal expansion plan and immediately sanctioned Rs. 20 Cr. for it.

Very few people differentiate that AAI runs the terminal at HAL and HAL only looks after the air side. HAL ATC is known to be one of the best in the country. In fact with 30 controllers, they handle twice the traffic that 120 controllers in Kolkata do. Even at BIAL, which is handling the same traffic at HAL, the sanctioned strength of AAI ATC is 150.

I have studied airports wherever possible. I understand Bangalore's culture. BIAL has made a serious mis-calculation, but instead of admitting it, and sharing some traffic with HAL that would allow them the breathing room to fix the problems, and expand and grow, they have forced this city.

Now they should live up to the consequences of their decisions.

With regards to the UDF, I suggest you read my article http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com/2008/04/perils-of-pioneering-bangalores-loss-of.html. The world's best airport today, Changi, charges only Rs. 375 approx., and that too, for what everyone on SSC will admit, is a much better airport than BIAL. Today, most airports today derive their revenue from non-aero income.

BIAL has 4000 acres. They are going to develop the real estate ........ but later. For now, the government, thanks to the CA, is obliged to ensure a certain ROI to BIAL, regardless of their inefficiencies. So BIAL gets UDF to make their profits, once the airport is paid off, develop the real estate, and make the killing.

And please do read the Conclusion portion of my BIAL Visit Report (http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com/2008/05/bial-airport-visit-report.html).

mailabode

May 28th, 2008, 12:32 PM

All of this you want to complete in 6mts/1yr and negate all of the work done in the last 4 years? Who is going to pay for it? You? Do you think any of the shareholders(Private and GOI) will be willing to pay for destruction and rebuild of a new terminal?

The 80 million "out of the hat" projection depends on a lot of "Ifs" and no investor will be willing to pay for all of it in one go without any concrete evidence on the ground.

If you were so dissatisfied with the design, planning and construction you had about 4 years to raise your concern.

Sitting on your armchair and commenting on a forum is the easy way out.

Live with you got delivered and expect better with the next terminal and if required go over the master plan and give your openion to the management.

:blahblah: An Avatar of Socialist Rubbish.

Look Pura Pagal, i did not attack the airport or Mr Brunner or anybody on that side in my post. But you made an unprovoked attack - a veiled attack on person. I am sure you are a good man who loves to be treated as well as you treat others! - i'll be more direct though.
You read one post of mine, did not even bother to read the message properly(let alone having any idea what my previous posts which clearly show i am asupporter of BIAL and BIA), misunderstand and start attacking.
"Out of the hat estimate" ?. "A recent study conducted by Lufthansa Consulting (LHC) has estimated the international airport's opening year (2008) traffic flow to be 6.7 million passengers" - http://www.thehindu.com/2006/03/10/stories/2006031008720500.htm. So what do you call that estimate. Thats why i call you 'bigmouth'. It will be 15 million in 2008 end- we'll all see that. And "80 millions by 2030" implies the actual figures will be a lot more than conventional estimates and does literally mean '80 million' (it is only a continuation of what i said before and did not suddenly appear from thin air and it was specifically in reply to that person - read back if ineterested)- anyway no figure will be agreed upon literally without scientific evaluation- so whats your point?. You not only lack perspective but are childish.

First: Dont tell me what i should live with or write me a script of what i should think is the best course of action(i dont think from your post that you have the intelligence to preach) - and in this blog i will post such views/thoughts among others views because that is what its meant for- people put down their views, others point out mistakes and so on until an idea is refined. A blog or conversation or dialogue between people - thats how things work.
Basic skeletal idea come before esstimates, and estimates and technical studies happen to fulfil ideas- thats the normal sequence - not the other way around. People dont go official immediately or all the time. And did you even bother to go to the authorities or BIAL and say 'the 5 million estimate is not good enough, increase it to 12 million" ?. When you dont do that why ask others to do things you dont practice?- hypocrisy?. This is a powerful medium which BIAL i have heard watches and what lots of people watch including you. Thats informal communication. I dont see why 'you sitting in armchair and posting comments' is superior to 'me sitting in airchair and posting comments'. Mind you business- want slaves?- do it within your house(your kingdom) - stop the big mouth and if you have too much adrenalin go find a doc- dont use it on such attacks. Who are you- Saddam Hussein/Stalin dictating me what i should be happy with?- i have no respect for dictators like you.

You may be satisfied with the capacity 'on behalf of the people of Banglore!' (dictator!), while even Mr Brunner will be getting worried and having a rethink, but i will not stoop to your level and unlike you will not order you to be a slave and fall in line with what i feel - that would be animalish. I have experienced and lived a wonderful past infrastructural creation of Mr Brunner- i dont need to know about his expertise from you. I also know about Siemens global and know what they are capable of. Lufthansa estimate: Simple mathematics - 5 million to 12 million is 140 percent increase, and terminal size increased only by 30 percent and its seen now, and if you cant understand this then go back to school and dont preach. Being a friend of someone(of BIAL here) does not mean feeding wrong info and feedback and being a chamcha- that's spoiling the friend.
Lets examine your unimaginative, meaningless fault finding now:
1) The terminal building expansion to the redesign with all those internal amenities can be completed withinin a year, and if they do vertical separation in a bit more than a year.
2) The car park can be constructed in stages and at least a 2 floor car park can start functioning in 1 year and the floors above that continue construction while its in use.
3) An underground train station can begin construction anytime and the basic construction be ready for use in a year before the train line to BIA is completed.
4) The BRTS system and Expressway can be completed in 1 year if done with dedication.
5) The Rail project implemented by the Govt or Railways or some private entity (which is not the sole responsibility of BIAL but where BIAL will be a partner so that everything is compatible and plays at least an advisory role based on their expertise) and starts construction immediately and complets WITHIN 2 years on a war footing.
Thats what i meant. I never said in the post you quoted that each of them take the same time to complete - some take less and some more. And they arent done sequentially but parallely and with modern management tools like PERT etc. - this is a company that can do things on a massive scale - one of the partners Unique Zurich has completed such a fast paced project before, and with 'the abundantly available manpower of all kinds and at al levels' in India things can be done even faster. Look, the standards that should be are not based relatively on what's happenned in the past but what is possible on paper, and believeing in the plan without your kind of negativity and making it work with optimism - thats how successful projects are done. Almost all ambitious projects in history have had such guiding principles behind them and not your negativity, and from the same history negative people have always been the ones that slowed development. The bottom line was that if started now, be well planned/designed including usage of modern management techniques for planning implementation, be implemented by all partners with a sense of purpose, dedication and co-operation and without unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles - then whats possible is much more. I dont see anything wrong with that.

Shareholders dont lose much because they will run HAL airport in that idea and continue to get expected returns on investment. I had already said - you blind or what - also i did not recommend 6 months. By the way where does the money come from for people to construct many small airports in a metropolis which you said is how things should be for India(isnt that easier said than done in your case also?)- what a hypocrite!.

Discuss points and even be critical about the point, but unprovoked condescending attitude of yours shows though youve grown in size your not mature enough to know where to stop.
I patiently explained inspite of your unprovoked attack -Pura Pagal youve the right name -now i have one word for you - 'Get Lost'.

mailabode

May 28th, 2008, 01:19 PM

purapagal

May 28th, 2008, 01:58 PM

Look Pura Pagal, i did not attack the airport or Mr Brunner or anybody on that side in my post. But you made an unprovoked attack - a veiled attack on person. I am sure you are a good man who love to be treated as well as you treat others! - i'll be more direct though.
You read one post of mine, did not even bother to read the message properly(let alone having any idea what my previous posts which clearly show i am asupporter of BIAL and BIA), misunderstand and start attacking.
"Out of the hat estimate" ?. "A recent study conducted by Lufthansa Consulting (LHC) has estimated the international airport's opening year (2008) traffic flow to be 6.7 million passengers" - http://www.thehindu.com/2006/03/10/stories/2006031008720500.htm. So what do you call that estimate. Thats why i call you 'bigmouth'. It will be 15 million in 2008 end- we'll all see that. And "80 millions by 2030" implies the actual figures will be a lot more than conventional estimates and does literally mean '80 million' (it is only a continuation of what i said before and did not suddenly appear from thin air and it was specifically in reply to that person - read back if ineterested)- anyway no figure will be agreed upon literally without scientific evaluation- so whats your point?. You not only lack perspective but are childish.

First: Dont tell me what i should live with or write me a script of what i should think is the best course of action(i dont think from your post that you have the intelligence to preach) - and in this blog i will post such views/thoughts among others views because that is what its meant for- people put down their views, others point out mistakes and so on until an idea is refined. A blog or conversation or dialogue between people - thats how things work.
Basic skeletal idea come before esstimates, and estimates and technical studies happen to fulfil ideas- thats the normal sequence - not the other way around. People dont go official immediately or all the time. And did you even bother to go to the authorities or BIAL and say 'the 5 million estimate is not good enough, increase it to 12 million" ?. When you dont do that why ask others to do things you dont practice?- hypocrisy?. This is a powerful medium which BIAL i have heard watches and what lots of people watch including you. Thats informal communication. I dont see why 'you sitting armchair and posting comments' is superior to 'me sitting in airchair and posting comments'. Mind you business- want slaves?- search elsewhere on another planet - stop the big mouth and if you have too much adrenalin go find a doc- dont use it on such attacks. Who are you- Saddam Hussein/Stalin dictating me what i should be happy with?- i have no respect for dictators like you.

You may be satisfied with the capacity 'on behalf of the people of Banglore!' (dictator!), while even Mr Brunner will be getting worried and having a rethink, but i will not stoop to your level and unlike you will not order you to be a slave and fall in line with what i feel - that would be animalish. I have experienced and lived a wonderful past infrastructural creation of Mr Brunner- i dont need to know about his expertise from you. I also know about Siemens global and know what they are capable of. Lufthansa estimate: Simple mathematics - 5 million to 12 million is 140 percent increase, and terminal size increased only by 30 percent and its seen now, and if you cant understand this then go back to school and dont preach. Being a friend of someone(of BIAL here) does not mean feeding wrong info and feedback and being a chamcha- that's spoiling the friend.
Lets examine your unimaginative, meaningless fault finding now:
1) The terminal building expansion to the redesign with all those internal amenities can be completed withinin a year, and if they do vertical separation in a bit more than a year.
2) The car park can be constructed in stages and at least a 2 floor car park can start functioning in 1 year and the floors above that continue construction while its in use.
3) An underground train station can begin construction anytime and the basic construction be ready for use in a year before the train line to BIA is completed.
4) The BRTS system and Expressway can be completed in 1 year if done with dedication.
5) The Rail project implemented by the Govt or Railways or some private entity (which is not the sole responsibility of BIAL but where BIAL will be a partner so that everything is compatible and plays at least an advisory role based on their expertise) and starts construction immediately and complets WITHIN 2 years on a war footing.
Thats what i meant. I never said in the post you quoted that each of them take the same time to complete - some take less and some more. And they arent done sequentially but parallely and with modern management tools like PERT etc. - this is a company that can do things on a massive scale - one of the partners Unique Zurich has completed such a fast paced project before, and with 'the abundantly available manpower of all kinds and at al levels' in India things can be done even faster. Look, the standards that should be are not based relatively on what's happenned in the past but what is possible on paper, and believeing in the plan without your kind of negativity and making it work with optimism - thats how successful projects are done. Almost all ambitious projects in history have had such guiding principles behind them and not your negativity, and from the same history negative people have always been the ones that slowed development. The bottom line was that if started now, be well planned/designed including usage of modern management techniques for planning implementation, be implemented by all partners with a sense of purpose, dedication and co-operation and without unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles - then whats possible is much more. I dont see anything wrong with that.

Shareholders dont lose much because they will run HAL airport in that idea and continue to get expected returns on investment. I had already said - you blind or what - also i did not recommend 6 months. By the way where does the money come from for people to construct many small airports in a metropolis which you said is how things should be for India(isnt that easier said than done in your case also?)- what a hypocrite!.

Discuss points and even be critical about the point, but unprovoked condescending attitude of yours shows though youve grown in size your not mature enough to know where to stop.
I patiently explained inspite of your unprovoked attack -Pura Pagal youve the right name -now i have one word for you - 'Get Lost'.

Whoa whoa lets not get touchy here. We are trying to have a dialog in this forum. And I am not going waste my time to rebut all of the personal attacks here, thank you for your patience and putting in your valuable time to write a loooong reply to my post.

What I am trying to say is this kind of massive change that you suggested:

1) The terminal building expansion to the redesign with all those internal amenities can be completed withinin a year, and if they do vertical separation in a bit more than a year.
2) The car park can be constructed in stages and at least a 2 floor car park can start functioning in 1 year and the floors above that continue construction while its in use.
3) An underground train station can begin construction anytime and the basic construction be ready for use in a year before the train line to BIA is completed.
4) The BRTS system and Expressway can be completed in 1 year if done with dedication.
5) The Rail project implemented by the Govt or Railways or some private entity (which is not the sole responsibility of BIAL but where BIAL will be a partner so that everything is compatible and plays at least an advisory role based on their expertise) and starts construction immediately and complets WITHIN 2 years on a war footing.

Nothing is impossible but lets be practical here. We are talking about a whole lot of different projects involving multiple agencies both governmental and private which will require a very competent bunch of project managers and lots of trained personnel who has done all of this before which will be nearly impossible to find in such a short notice and also will cost a bomb and on top of that it will be very very difficult to get financed from the stakeholders. In addition lets not forget this is India, just because some of us want things to be done "yesterday" it wont happen like it or not, specifically because there is no important deadline here like a 2010 Commonwealth Games. In an open ended schedule, continuing with just HAL open will be even worse.

My 2Cents, don't like it?, nothing I can do about it.

Suncity

May 28th, 2008, 02:52 PM

BIAL photos

photos copyright SudheeshNairs

1
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/8818/bial1si4.jpg

2
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/1940/bial2ob0.jpg

3
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/348/bial3kr5.jpg

4
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/5864/bial4xt7.jpg

5
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/3852/bial5jq8.jpg

6
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/4830/bial6jj7.jpg

werfish

May 28th, 2008, 03:16 PM

You know quality of travel along with the coolies to gulf.. :lol:..may be better to swim to those gulf countries than travelling like fishloads on those planes..
In your desire to project BIAL as world class,please do not call all economy class travellers as coolies,you sound like that MP who was deplaned.

mailabode

May 28th, 2008, 03:25 PM

In your desire to project BIAL as world class,please do not call all economy class travellers as coolies,you sound like that MP who was deplaned.

I too disagree with Mr Prakash on that. I wouldn't look down on those people going to the Gulf for jobs -We need to treat everybody with respect irrespective of class differences. Many coolies of yesterday are multi millionaires of today.

Silicon_Valley

May 28th, 2008, 03:34 PM

Nice photos Sudheesh, esp. the one from the parking lot!

Silicon_Valley

May 28th, 2008, 03:47 PM

Having read all the criticisms on BIAL on the media (read newspapers), I want to know if any of the forumers had any personal experience through the airport. Personally, I feel it's a gross exaggeration by the media supported by a lobby of keep-HALIA-open enthusiasts who is hell bent on bloating the magnitude of the teething problems faced at the airport that may work in their favor of keeping both airports open for sometime. I am myself traveling out of Bangalore next month, but that may be a little too late for us to see the problems we are facing today.

noobntleygik

May 28th, 2008, 04:04 PM

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26995348@N04/

noobntleygik

May 28th, 2008, 04:25 PM

...

adheet

May 28th, 2008, 04:56 PM

http://deccanherald.com/Content/May282008/state2008052870378.asp
For one, international airlines, which fly widebody aircraft, unlike domestic carriers, cannot park their planes even if one aerobridge is free. Reason: although BIA has eight aerobridges, only 4-5 widebody aircraft can park because the space in between hasn’t been accounted for.

This is ridiculous reporting. In most airports in the world, only limited parking bays are designed for wide bodied aircrafts. Parking bays are therefore classified based on the aircraft types that can be handled. We really need to be diligent while reading all the reporting on BIAL. Criticism obviously makes more sensational news.

The big issue that has become evident after the start of BIAL is that the facility was not designed to handle 10 million annual passengers. To what extent BIAL should be blamed is a tough question given Bangalore's unprecedented traffic growth and all the red-tape issues faced by BIAL prior to launch.

The priority now should be to immediately start the next phase. And plan the next phase for around 20-25 million annual passengers so that we are not continually in a catch-up mode. And once the connectivity and expansion is in place, BIAL has the potential to be a significant aviation hub.

The discussions on continuing HAL and whether the opening of BIAL was premature are bound to continue. My understanding is that it was essential to open BIAL ASAP because future expansion of BIAL critically depends on the generated revenue stream. And hopefully, the press will focus more on presenting all the considerations, constraints, practical issues, and legalities associated with re-starting HAL.

killerk

May 28th, 2008, 04:57 PM

Excuse me... which data you have? The only airports in India whose passenger traffic crossed 10 million mark are Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. Airports that have crossed 5 million mark include Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. :bash:

Definitely not me either. But let me tell you frankly that from my previous experience I would avoid travelling to or through Gulf countries like plague.. And it maynot be coincidence that all Kochin flights only go towards GULF which explains everything...You know quality of travel along with the coolies to gulf.. :lol:..may be better to swim to those gulf countries than travelling like fishloads on those planes..

Please understand we are talking about BIAL and Bangalore going to be the third hub of India with its huge potential due to its tremendous passenger traffic growth. BIAL on its opening date has handled probably more aircrafts on one day than your Kochin airport handling one week. Please bring in apple to apple comparison on airports based on passenger traffic.

Man, u definitely have some issues.....have u been to the Gulf? Some of the richest people there are Indians way more than what Indians in US or Europe have achieved. We are no longer in the 18th century when caste system was dominant.
If u have that much problem with the new Bangalore airport float your own company and build a new terminal. I am sure not a single paise from your bank account or taxes was used to construct the new airport. Yes, It is under-capacity but the stakeholders get to decide how to run it not the public since it was their money that was used.
You have no right to discriminate people based on the kind of work they do. How do u know all Indians in Gulf are coolies. Have u been there? From my experience they are doing far better than the Indians elsewhere and are sending way more money to banks in India through remittances.

If u are still not sure about the rank of Kochi airport read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochin_International_Airport

I told u once before I am not from Kochi. I always base my information on statistics. If it takes more than 2 hrs to cover 30 km (18.75 miles, the rest of the world will laugh at this) distance between the city and the airport, that is a bigger issue than the new airport that just opened less than a week ago. I dont see any of the Billionaire/Millionaire Bangalore IT or BT honchos spending a single penny on making that highway connecting the city to the airport. So tell them to make a landing strip in front of their homes abd get their own planes (like Mr. Mukesh Ambani) or be happy with the new airport from which they are not going to lose anything anyway. Here in Houston, we still pay airport tax for car rentals and hiring taxi cabs at the airport here that was made in 1969.

In the meantime Mr Prakash, go around the world especially to the Gulf (Dubai, as most Indians know the place) and open up your perspective about the world. And the next time u fly from Bangalore to New York or London, fly Emirates, Etihad or Qatar Airways. U can save a few bucks on a long haul flight and still be treated like a human being.

zenith_suv

May 28th, 2008, 05:08 PM

Now I totally understand that new Airports face problems of all sorts but the troubles at BIAL seem to be very different in nature and arising out of more fundamental mistakes.

problems related to Baggage reclaim, ATC communication are common and can be resolved within a month at maximum ,connectivity.

But 8 aerobidges for an Intl' airport which aspires to be a future hub fr airlines is a disgrace , I hear that Delhi's up and coming T3 would have 70 aerobridges all capable of handling wide bodied aircrafts and Mumbai is well equipped too , only 8 for B'lore is a planning disaster.

Secondly , the feeling of being shortage of space being faced by passengers , no matter how early passengers arrive they still don't arrive a day in advance and it's inexcusable for a new airport to be short of space by any means.

2 idllies and a drink costing Rs.80 but I don't think that can be blamed on BIAL
but still needs to be corrected.

BIAL should hold their hands up and apologize rather than saying everything is "OK" and put corrective measures in place ASAP while starting work on another terminal right away.

So much bad press from all quarters cannot come as a reason of Bias by anti-BIAL lobbyists , BIAL must get real and move into damage control mode.

Illusionist

May 28th, 2008, 05:17 PM

Hi. This is my first post after a long time. Now since the airport is open which i was eagerly waiting , i must say i am disappointed. After all those delays and coverup for the bad structural design all we get is a mismanaged airport.

Most of the problems are fixable within the first week. i am not worried much about management and untrained staff mistakes as they will learn soon from their experience and public pressure.

but there are some mistakes that i say are criminal..

1 low number of bathrooms?? you kidding me. that is one of the most important thing in an airport. no body should have to wait to use the facility. break down as many retails as it takes to replace them with bathrooms. i care less about retail stores.

2. Landscaping. after the dust flying around during the test flight they got a month extra. they should have used that time to do something. they showed us nice pics of landscaping and greenery. what happened to that.

3. Who the fk lost my plane. :bash: Fire the responsible person.

4 Seating area needs to be expended. After an hour travel from the city i expect people will be tired. BIAL should take this seriously.

5 any technical problems with ATC is a huge problem. peoples lives depend on it. That should take the first priority even if it means closing the airport untill all the glitches with ATC are ironed out.

6 Also if a new airport cannot handle big aircrafts at the aerobridges then i want my 500 million USD back. A new airport should not only handle the current aircrafts but also keep the future aircraft size trend in mind.

Since the day one we all have been bitching about the design and delays. There is nothing much that can be done to change it but BIAL did a good job in making it look good in its original box type shape. I am over the design and i am sure it will grow in to others too. but after so many delays and promises if this is their best then i say it is unacceptable. I understand that there are initial problems in any new airport but the things like few bathrooms, no sitting area only shows the mismanagement and design flaws to the basic level.

People will complain and they have all the right to do so.

At the end of the day we all want a nice airport with sophistication , ambiance and facilities of a mall, not a mall with air strips.

My 2 paisas

mailabode

May 28th, 2008, 05:26 PM

Airport maps from the BIAL website -
Ground Floor http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3176/2530619489_87119d362d_m.jpg

First Floor http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2048/2531435514_9d35999e6c_m.jpg

Parking Map http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2085/2530619667_66f431266f_m.jpg

I was so happy to see the terminal building plans before the airport opened, i felt they were wonderfully organized - but after opening it turned out that sizewise its too small(i had all along thought maybe the did not increase the size too much in redesign because the original was big enough- but i was mistaken).
I could have felt this much earlier had i walked through the airport in one of the visits BIAL had organized. I cant comment who is behind this and what caused this bungle(i mean the root causes), but surely this is not what i waited for for so many years.

Suncity

May 28th, 2008, 06:10 PM

1) There seem to be several restrooms and bathrooms in the airport as per the floor plans. It is the duty of the management to keep the restrooms clean. A lot of Indian passengers do not have proper restroom habits. So more importance will have to be given to the cleaning and maintenance of restrooms. It is often the quality of restrooms that decides the quality of maintenance at an airport.

2) I think, Delhi airport has nine aerobridges compared to Bangalore's eight. Delhi is chaos during peak hours. Expect Bangalore to be that as well.

3) Four gates for wide body aircrafts is okay considering most flights to and from Bangalore are narrow bodies. This didn't happen suddenly though. Take a look at the parking diagram. It seems these are the four middle gates. The media and some of the airlines seem to be suddenly 'discovering' all these issues.

4) The missing aircraft story is hilarious. How can an aircraft go 'missing'? It is probably BS reporting now that the airline itself is denying that such a thing happened.

5) Not sure if the plans are to scale, but the shopping space on first floor is a bit too much compared to passenger waiting / seating area. Why need stores on the domestic side? I guess BIAL has to earn revenues.

6) I would rather believe the ATC guys and pilots on ATC stuff than on unnamed airline sources or hearsay.

7) Ground handling should improve over the next few week.

My two paise.

And lastly there is no need to call people coolies or cybercoolies.

genialgiant

May 28th, 2008, 06:10 PM

Another positive experience

Landed back in Blore today @ BIAL. Usually while landing @ BLR u can gauge the height and distance based on the visible landmarks... BIAL is like landing in the middle of no where.. esp if u r on the right side of the a/c!!

Our ATR was parked remote and we were taken in 9W buses. The arrival hall has huge ads for Chivas Regal, Karnataka Tourism etc. More than adequate number of belts... our baggage came in within about 5 mins of us reaching there.. (Arrival time 1410)

The arrival lounge right after the baggage claim and before the exit is amazing. A welcome change!! There is a coffee day "lounge" with very professional service!! They have a lot more options than a normal CCD.

Then there is Odyssey, where u can pick up books, movies, music , magazines n toys.

Prepaid cabs, Rentals, Forex and Hotel Services hv their counters here.

There is also an ATM coming up here before the exit.

After exit, you have a CCD again, a florist and a multi-ATM kiosk.

You need to walk abt 50 mtrs to the Volvo bus bay, where you hv buses to various parts of Bangalore every 15-20 mins. I took a Volvo to my place in HSR. Cost 150 INR and took me abt 1.5 hrs to reach.

The arrival section is a lot more satisfactory than the departure section and gives a very good first impression of Bangalore!!

A few snaps of the shopping options at the departure gate..

http://airlinersindia.s4.bizhat.com/airlinersindia-ftopic4097-0-asc-80.html

genialgiant

May 28th, 2008, 06:14 PM

More positive:

The new Bangalore Airport is GORGEOUS! An incredibly clean, organized, beautiful airport –I believe that one who has traveled through the old Bangalore Airport would appreciate this new airport far more than someone who has not. At any event, I quickly and efficiently made way to customs and down to baggage claim

http://ashtangayogini.blogspot.com/2008/05/its-half-past-five-am-in-india-and-ive.html

genialgiant

May 28th, 2008, 06:19 PM

More people slam the sham

|| bial sham ||

May 28th, 2008, 9:47 am

On Sunday, we went to drop MA and also to check out the BIAL airport in Devanahalli, only to find there is nothing international about it. If you are expecting another Changi, Heathrow, O’Hare or a JFK, hold your breath—- Its not even a patch on any of them, which is self-evident when you are confronted with a very smallish glass + concrete structure standing in the middle of nowhere with construction debris strewn all around for company. For an idea of how BIG this structure is :: on the outside, you can walk from one end (departure) of this small structure to the other end (arrival) in 10 minutes flat (It being a Sunday the place was swarming in the evening with curious on-lookers with families in tow to gawk at the nondescript airport in no-mans’ land).
[UPDATE1 : the 10 min is walking outside the building only, from the time you alight at the bus-stand to the arrival area, and not the time taken to alight a flight and exit with luggage in tow. Minus the Sat/Sunday on-lookers it should hardly take 5 min and less than that with no luggage. That is how small the international structure is.]

Last year when HU had come over and visited the construction site at devanahalli, i went along out of sheer curiosity. Being a weekday and peak traffic time to boot, it took 2.5 hours just to reach devanahalli. We entered via the runway and speeding on the parallel service track was sheer fun. I imagine the runway would be an F1 track (grin) which they ought to be. We climbed the ATC tower, got the obligatory snaps, and midway DA got bored and tired of all the exposure in the hot sun, wanted to leave asap (imagine 2 women in a construction site and you know why). I had seen the terminal then and thought there would be a separate one for international flights atleast. On Sunday, 2008May25 I realised i was wrong.
Let’s start again… For a late evening flight (8pm’ish) we left home at 4pm and trudged to the nearest bus-stand, luggage et al. Yeah, driving raises my blood pressure and i dont own a 4-wheeler. So what used to be a hop-skip-and-jump to the airport in 15 min by auto, is now a torturous 2 hour fuel-guzzling environment polluting 50km unnecessary ride. I like to receive/drop my friends and family to the station/airport/bus-stand when ever they come over. That will soon change atleast as far as the airport is concerned. There are 9 bus-stands and it takes 2 hours to get there, not including the time spent idling waiting for the bus to start or the time taken to get to the bus station.

We got talking to the conductor and he said the Majestic Volvo route makes 30,000 rupees per day and other routes too get good earnings. The fares are steep—Volvo AC bus is 150 bucks single fare one-way and a bmtc bus costs 80 bucks one-way—when you compare the same volvo AC bus from Chennai Central Train station to Tiruvanmiyur (around 25 km) costs just 25 rupees, yeah just 25 bucks ! So do the Bangalore Volvo buses have special wings that they charge three times the amount for the same distance???

The bus conductors are made to do 24 hours duty but only get paid 4 hours over-time on the basic pay and get one day off …. so they work 4 days a week 24 hours at a stretch, which seems harsh. From the bus-station to the swanky small structure is a distance of a quarter kilometer and if it rains, which is all the time in bangalore, be prepared to get drenched. There are no rest rooms for those who come to see-off their kith and kin…there is one half a km away and if you are hungry of thirsty be prepared to shell out more than 50 bucks for a bottle of water.
[Addendum : Private taxis charge Rs 950-1000/- for a single journey. If you are wondering why they charge you the return fare, its coz they claim they have to make the return journey to the city with no passengers hence you will pay them for a journey you dont make.]

Once inside the airport its chaos, the ground-staff dont belong to the individual airlines, rather they are all contracted employees who have not been adequately trained on how to use the computer, printer, and check-in passengers. To their credit they are polite but heck that does not stop the confusion with long queues and irritated passengers left holding confirmed tickets with no flights to board….not nice.

The inside is not very impressive nor is it spacious and departures are on the second level—local flights to the left and international flights to the right (empty when we were there). After security check tons of floor space has been devoted to malls and shops …you name the brand and its there. So it does seem that in all this, apparently only the promoters seem to benefit financially at the expense of the tax-paying public, money** is being thrown to the winds. After all the so-called glowing reports the reality is slowly seeping out.

[** User development fee/toll/service fee, call it whatever you like but the user (common citizens) should not have to pay ridiculous prices/fees for airport related services, had the government done an iota of city planning. Next they give away 4000 acres almost for free, where a private company is the beneficiary, not the government. In what way is the government earning—taxes ? No, ...then its lost earnings and indirectly a waste of public money (read 4000 acres of land).]

http://www.svaksha.com/?p=143