Don't shift Aero India show from Bangalore: CM

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Sadananda Gowda has urged Union Defence Minister A K Antony not to shift the Aero India show from the city.

Bangalore: Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda has urged Union Defence Minister A K Antony not to shift the Aero India show from the city. The biennail event is being held at the Indian Air Force (IAF) Station, Yelahanka. In a letter addressed to Antony, the Chief Minister stated that it has come to the state government’s notice that there is a move to shift the event out of Bangalore.

The letter is written in the wake of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL)taking up airspace management issue with the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, which in turn has approached the Defence Ministry with a proposal to shift the air show’s venue. “Moving it out of Bangalore would be a retrograde step for the Indian aerospace industry in general and the aerospace industry in Karnataka in particular,” the CM stated.

Stating that it may not be difficult for the BIAL to close the runways for five days when the event will be held at the air force station, the CM stated, “BIAL runway was closed in April, for almost 30 days from 10.30 am to 5 pm for maintenance and repair. Hence, it may not be difficult to close BIAL runway for five days during Aero India show timings, in case of any difficulty in managing airspace.”

Aero India is being held in Bangalore since its inception in 1994 and it has grown into a significant event. It would be counter-productive to try and start afresh at a new location. There is reasonably fixed calendar for conduct of air shows at global level. World over these events are accommodated through careful planning and coordination. Even with extensive air traffic these location are not moved around and have become part of industry eco-system in Farnborough, Paris, Moscow, Dubai. Singapore and Zhunai (China).

“The state government is strongly of the opinion that through proper coordination and planning the issue of air space management can be sorted out,” the CM stated. “The government is passionately committed to holding the air show at Yelahanka, Bangalore, and the privilege of hosting the global event has to be retained,” he said.