With the new Bangalore international airport all set to begin commercial operations by this month-end, the government has decided to close down the existing HAL airport near the city.

This was decided after Bangalore International Airport Ltd, the private consortium developing the greenfield airport, rejected the civil aviation ministry's proposal of keeping both the airports operational.

"They are not agreeable to the proposition," said Civil Aviation Secretary Ashok Chawla, after the ministry's meeting with BIAL. During their last meeting on April 29, the ministry had proposed that the old Bangalore airport be kept open for operations of smaller aircraft having less than 80 seats.

The Karnataka high court had recently advised the government to reconsider the concession agreement with the private developers, which says that the existing airport in Bangalore should be shut down after the new one starts functioning.

The court had given its advice while hearing three public interest litigation filed in favour of the continuance of commercial operations at the old airport.

Regarding the issue raised about the capability of the new airport to handle additional traffic, Chawla said that a scientific estimate of the passenger handling capacity would be done soon. BIAL had forecast a traffic figure of 10.1 million by 2010.

However, the passenger traffic is expected to touch 10.8 million by the end of 2007-08 itself.

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