From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Dec 14: Bengaluru International Airport Ltd (BIAL) has earned a net profit of Rs. 114 crore and a gross revenue of Rs 560 crores in 2012-13, according to BIA Senior Director (Finance and Support Service) B Bhaskar.
Speaking to reporters on the eve of renaming of the BIAL after the founder of Bangalore, Kempe Gowda, Bhaskar said the company had borrowed Rs 700 crore for its Rs 1,500 crore expansion project.It also has outstanding debts of Rs 1,100 crore to bankers.
BIAL has already achieved the break even and servicing its debts on its own, he said adding: the company has also raised Rs 800 crore from its own sources for the expansion project.
The user development fee (UDF) being charged by BIAL is the lowest in the country, Bhaskar said.
The company would be making an application for revision of UDF before the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority once terminal 1A is made operational.
Presently, he said the UDF is Rs 231.40 for domestic passengers and Rs 952.30 for international passengers.
AAI to develop Bijapur Airport
Karnataka’s Infrastructure Development Minister S R Patil said the Airports Authority of India (AAI) would be developing the airport at Bijapur for which the state government too has agreed to contribute funds.
Announcing the opening of Terminal 1A and naming of Bengaluru International Airport Ltd after Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda on Saturday, Patil said AAI has estimated that about Rs 100 crore would be required to undertake preliminary works at the Bijapur airport site.
AAI has sought Rs 50 crore from the state government, he said adding: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is also holding the finance portfolio, has already agreed to provide funds sought for.
The Minister said the Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh would inaugurate the expanded terminal of BIAL, Terminal 1A, after naming the airport after Kempe Gowda here on Saturday.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would preside over the function which would be attended by Union Ministers M Veerappa Moily and K Rahman Khan among others.
With the expansion, the airport will be able to handle upto 2 crore passengers a year from the present 1.14 crore.
According to the National Council of Applied Economic Research survey, the average income to the state from every passenger is about Rs 11,500, which is a very welcome contribution.