Kalaburagi Airport

Kalaburagi Airport (IATA: GBI, ICAO: VOGB) is a public airport located 12 km east of Kalaburagi in Karnataka, India. The airport was built by the Karnataka State Public Works Department (PWD) with technical assistance from RITES Limited[1] and is operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).[2]

Kalaburagi Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGovernment of Karnataka
OperatorAirports Authority Of India
ServesKalaburagi
LocationSrinivas Saradagi, Kalaburagi district
Elevation AMSL479 m / 1,571 ft
Coordinates17°18′28″N 76°57′29″E
Map
GBI
GBI
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
09/27 10,745 3,275 Asphalt

History

The Rs. 120 crore greenfield project was initially scheduled be built under Public–private partnership (PPP) with the Government of Karnataka (GoK).[3]

On 15 November 2007, the government of Karnataka awarded the Gulbarga Airport project to a consortium of Maytas Infra Ltd. (Now IL&FS Engineering and Construction Company Limited),[4] NCC Infrastructure Holdings Ltd. (NCC) and VIE India Project Development and Holding on a Build–operate–transfer (BOT) basis. The concession period was to be 30 years, extendable by an additional 30 years, by mutual agreement.[5]

Gulbarga Airport Developers Pvt. Ltd. (GADPL), a Special Purpose Company (SPC), was established to sign the Project Development Agreement (PDA) with the Infrastructure Development Department of the Government of Karnataka. The shareholding pattern of Maytas Infra, NCC and VIE in the SPC was 37%, 37% and 26% respectively. The agreement was subsequently signed on 2 April 2008.[5] and the foundation stone for Phase I of the project was laid by former Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri B. S. Yeddyurappa on 14 June 2008.[6]

Gulbarga airport was to have started operations in the latter half of 2012 but was delayed[7] due to financial mismanagement/ disputes between the shareholders of Gulbarga Airport Development Ltd (GADL).[8]

The State Government terminated the contract in January 2015 for not complying with the Project Development Agreement (PDA), which required the completion of construction work by May 2012. The State Government then decided to complete the remaining work through its own Public Works Department.[9] In September 2016, the State PWD started the first phase of work on the airport. This included extending the runway to 3.2 km. from the existing 1.9 km., to facilitate the landing of larger aircraft, and completing the compound wall. Construction of the terminal building and other facilities would be taken up in the second phase.[1] On 26 August 2018, two Diamond Aircraft flew in from Hyderabad and landed on the runway at Gulbarga as a trial.[10] Construction work was completed by August 2019 at a cost of Rs. 181 Crore, not including the cost of acquiring 742 acres of land.[11] The airport was formally handed over to the AAI on 24 August 2019. The Karnataka Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSIIDC), on behalf of the Government of Karnataka, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AAI to develop, operate and maintain the airport.[2]

The Airport Was Inaugurated By Chief Minister Of Karnataka Shri B S Yediyurappa On 22 November 2019 and It Began Commercial Operations On The Same Day.

The first commercial flight from Kalaburagi Airport to Bengaluru on 22 Nov took off at 3:10 PM and landed at Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru at 4:10 PM.

As per the report from Govt of India, the Kalaburagi airport has an occupancy of 80% as of 14th Feb 2020, compared to 60% and 70% occupancy of Belgavi and Hubballi airports respectively. [12]

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
Alliance AirBengaluru[13]
Star AirBengaluru

star air mumbai

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References
  1. "CM launches left-over works for Gulbarga airport". Deccan Herald. 18 September 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  2. "Govt hands over Kalaburagi Airport to AAI". Deccan Herald. 24 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  3. "Karnataka to open two greenfield minor airports by July 2013". Business Standard. 7 February 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  4. C R Sukumar (1 September 2009). IL&FS may partner foreign firms to improve Maytas Infra position. livemint.com. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
  5. Gulbarga Airport IL&FS Engineering Services
  6. Gulbarga airport remains a promise Deccan Herald, The Printers (Mysore) Private Ltd
  7. "Kharge fumes over delay in Gulbarga airport project work". The Hindu. 6 November 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  8. "Airport projects in four cities in limbo as promoters back out". Deccan Herald. 18 June 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  9. "Kalaburagi airport project may go to PWD". Deccan Herald. 8 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  10. ಕಲಬುರ್ಗಿ ವಿಮಾನ ನಿಲ್ದಾಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಾಯೋಗಿಕ ಹಾರಾಟ ಯಶಸ್ವಿ! kannadaprabha.com
  11. "Kalaburagi Airport Ready for Operation". United News of India. 23 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  12. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/karnataka-gets-in-principle-nod-for-three-more-airports/articleshow/74124433.cms
  13. "Alliance Air connecting Gulbarga with Bengaluru onwards to Mysuru begin from 27th December 2019". Orissa Diary. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
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