GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) has signed the concession agreement to commission, operationalize and maintain civilian areas at the Bidar Airport in North Karnataka, India.
GHIAL is expected to begin airport operations in the first week of February 2020 with the operations of one daily flight connecting Bidar with Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka.
SGK Kishore, executive director – south, GMR Airports and CEO of GHIAL, said, “The operationalization of Bidar Airport is a testimony to our commitment to support the Government of India’s flagship Regional Connectivity Scheme. We are very pleased to partner with the Government of Karnataka to support efforts for the all-round development of Bidar and nearby regions.
“We are confident that the start of commercial operations at Bidar will provide a boost to the local economy through better connectivity for the people of Bidar and the large number of tourists who visit the area.”
The airport was established in World War II and has been operating as an Indian Air Force base ever since. This is its first foray into scheduled civilian flights.
GMR Group owns and operates Delhi and Hyderabad airports. It recently won the concession to develop and operate a greenfield airport at Mopa in Goa.