Jinx stays as new Bangalore airport launch delayed again - just for a day this time
22 May 2008
The inauguration of the new international airport at Bangalore has been put off by a day with the ministry of civil aviation issuing a notification to this effect on Wednesday. The delay has been necessitated because Karnataka state's third and last phase of voting for the assembly elections ends on Thursday.
The notification was issued at the behest of the Election Commission.
Reportedly, airlines have been informed about the postponement.
The state government had earlier told the Election Commission that the new Bangalore airport would be formally opened on 24 May and an inaugural function will be held the following day.
This is now the third delay for the Bengaluru International Airport. It was initially supposed to be inaugurated on 28 March, from when its launch was pushed to 11 May and then to 23 May. Its launch date now stand announced for 24 May.
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The airport has been constructed in a period of 33 months, with work commencing on July 2005.
The change-over of all commercial air traffic from the HAL airport to the Devanahalli airport, some 40 km away from Bangalore would now take place just past the midnight of 23-24 May (00:01 hours on May 24).
All flights landing and departing after midnight will operate from the new airport and flights arriving before midnight (on May 23) and departing after midnight would also operate from the new airport.