Narayan - I agree with you entirely.

In this country, the attention has aways been on air & road travel when what was really necessary was mass inter-city transport (also, intra-city transport) with clean energy-efficient electric trains for the billion plus population.

The per-capita pollution & environmental damage with air travel are too high as is well know, but nobody bothers. Our ignorant politicians & silly industry captains imagine that waving their arms from an aircraft door is some kind of an ultimate stratospheric acheivement & newspaper reporters jostle with one another to click their pictures to rush it to the press.

Similarly, the hot-shot office executives take great pride in coming to office by car, only to leave it parked there all day, consuming fuel needlessly, causing pollution, occupying road space during their commutes & causing inconveniences to pedestrians & public transport. They chase away bicylists, imagining that they have much more rights on the streets than other more civilized users, & at times, even shout them out of their way - what arrogance !

In Europe, train travel is the most preferred mode, & caters to every class with good facilities. Government policies should have aimed at promoting travel by train by providing several different classes, including premium services with clean, well equipped coaches, platforms & lounges in rail stations, similar to airports. Instead, rail travel is considered suitable only for poorer classes here, & nothing is being done to improve services & the image of travel by trains.

6-lane & 8-lane roads & highways are being built & the demand for multi-level garages is never ending - all this will soon be a waste as within the next 20-25 years, oil is bound to become more & more scarce & expensive. International environmental safeguard mechanisms are sure to hit us through huge pressures & costs & we might end up pulling down our flyovers to make way for pedestrians, bicyclists & public transport.

I wonder when we will get leaders who can foresee what's coming & take steps to be prepared for the same, not to mention the demanding, selfish masses who need to re-orient themselves.

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My dear MNC managers reading this - one does not have to be a super smart civil or mechanical engineer to run a fortune 500 in india.

Does Jamnagar ring a bell? In case it doesn't - i suggest you read about it.

And please stop pontificating and lecturing how we need to accept "expert" opinion.

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While we all say Thank you Mr Brunner :-) Yes BIA is a nice airport compared to the what we had. i remember Mr Burnner in some happier moments such as these Well he leaves BIAL at a time when BIAL is subject to RTI some thing that Mr Brunner felt that its not applicable. Can any one please clarify if questions regarding BIAL will still haunt him or its going to the the problem of the new chief. -- PhotoYogi

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Although i appreciate Mr Brunner's patience, he should stop making ridiculous comments on the BBC about India's investment climate.

He did mention that if the CA were to be amended, it would hurt India's investment climate. What he failed to mention was his own shortcomings. Of course, not many would do that on media. The CA is in full violation of the competition laws of India.

His consortium wasn't even half or even 1/10th as able as the GMR consortium that developed Hyderabad airport.

That he messed up with cargo is so evident that Bangalore Custom Clearings House Agent's Association was very critical about it.

Even today, for the land and resource availability that BIAL has, it is not even able to match the infrastructural facilities that Dulles International Airpot in Washington, DC, which has about 12 million passengers per annum, quite similar to BIAL now.

My hope is that HAL airport is revived back and hopefully a third airport for Bangalore in the area between Kanakapura Road and Mysore Road is considered.

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I sincerely hope we stop building new airports for short distance travel, and instead improve other modes of transport.

Flying isnt the only way of traveling, and its about time Train and Bus services got a HUGE uplift. And, I strongly belive that Train and can be a great competitor and even thrash out air travel in the short distance sector. It is a sleeping giant.

For one, I dont belive that Mysore needs an airport. A high speed train link between BIAL, Cantt. and Mysore would do the trick. Have a checkin facility at mysore, and board at BIAL.

Hence, I strongly agree with Brunner when he talks about government apathy. Not only is Bangalore badly connected to the airport, but so is the rest of the state. I would expect a railway station, a bus station to open with BIAL, and the three modes to work together. Areas like Tumkur, Hampi, Mysore, Coorg, Arsikere and everyone can benefit from such connectivity.

Imagine, only 1 airport per 150 kms radius in india, and a Brilliant train and bus support system to follow it up....Aahh- Heaven!

In a way, the 150 kms radius around BIAL is a blessing and hopefully it will leads us to greener, cleaner and efficient alternative. I see no reason why airports need to spread like rabbits.

Re-opening HAL, IMO, is an excuse. It doesnt solve the problem, and is more like a pair of blinds we put on ourselves.

Personally, I would thank Mr Brunner, for the airport - and I belive it is one of the MOST functional airports in the country and I look forward to more from BIAL!

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Besides reopening HAL, now people want a third airport?? What next airports in whitefield, electronic city... God!!!
And in all fairness, Mr.Brunner has done a good job with BIAL. All this criticism on BIAL is biased and fear monger tacticts used by a certain group with socialist agenda to get HAL reopened. These people need to grow up and act their age before pointing finger at Mr.Brunner and others.

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I agree 100% when you say BIA was built like no other infrastructure, atleast in the state. 72 hour magic box takes 6 months now and that's the closest comparison in terms of execution to BIA! For BIAL, the requirements kept changing and those who've really worked on some project would know how difficult it is to manage to deliver despite these challenges. Hats off to Brunner and team.

BTW, I laughed aloud when I read some "common men" who gave feedback to a certain committee that BIA is only marginally better than HAL!

-- navshot

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Hats off to Mr. Brunner.  A lesser man would have given up 5 years back.  The sage of Indian capitalism himself threw in the towel after a couple of barbs from the humble farmer.

To all the politicians and bureaucrats that whinge about BIAL.  Show us one road/one flyover/one new layout/one drain/one footpath that has been executed 1/10th as well and I will print this out and eat it.   I think the Jayanagar TTMC started about the time BIAL started (2005) or even before.   I can't see it half done yet.   The airport road flyover (Domlur) took 4 years.  The Richmond Circle flyover took 3 years. 

Look at the road in fron't of UB City.  The man can talk so much about BIAL and how he felt let down.  He can't get a coat of tar and a decent sidewalk?

Coming to Naveen and Narayan's points.  BSY is following the same "if they an't have bread let them eat cake" policy.  So airports in Shimoga, Bidar, Gulbarga, Bijapur, etc etc.  What we need are good overnight trains and decent stations. 

Srivathsa

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I mentioned this to Murali sir in one conversation about BIAL HIAL etc and all that mindless criticism that was flowing around in emails around April/May this year

When it comes to government owned utilities and amenities, we just don't cringe. At HAL airport, we were not even cribbing about the usual 40-50 minute delays (due to "congestion", "late arrival of incoming aircraft" and such), forget crying about decent place to stand, and decent chairs to sit. At BIAL, we were talking about no space in lavatories, quality of tiles on the roof, and a few specs of dust here and there (I am talking passenger side of things)

Just because the government didn't build it, look how different our expectations were! Was it because this was an 'expensive' project. For God's sake, not one of us here even knows or cares to know the amount of money AAI/MOCA/HAL would have spent to build HAL airport that we have today. One can write about stations, bus stand, trains etc etc and what not - we know all that stuff we just put up with.

We'd certainly look back at BIAL first (and perhaps Metro next) as the turning points where expectations of residents of Bangalore changed for better. One would think that Mr Albert Brunner will be part of that remembrance.

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Naveen, Srivatsa, I can't understand who BSY is targetting - the common man AKA voters or the Creme Del La Creme of the people?

By building airports he is catering to the latter. Any one have the number of air travellers who voted?

Maybe thats why a govt never lasts a second term! More money to made on serving the higher classes!

Imagine, instead of building an airport in Hassan, in his tenure, he setup an affordable (with both classes of service) high speed efficient train system. Wouldn't it serve more people - transalated in his laguage get him more votes?

Point being, he is spending a vast some of tax payers money, serving only a single class of community. This in turn is what builds the great divide in our country between the rich and poor. Thats why GDP hardly reflects our real state!

What we need is affordable, practical and effecient service transport system. As SB rightly pointed out, why do we only pressurize private parties for "bad" service? In fact the other, is our own money we see being thrown back at us!

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 Hi Srivatsa, Naveen, and to a lesser degree others

Just a request to keep on topic.

-----------------------

Regards

Devesh R. Agarwal

Visit my aviation blog at http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com

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SB,

Your observation is quite correct, & something to ponder over ----

I cant help but agree that service levels by the private sector are more closely scrutinized & attract more criticism than those services that are publically owned. Yr example of HAL airport vis-a-vis BIAL highlights this amply, without doubt.

I can only infer that expectations by the people are thus, very low of the government-run services. How do we influence to overcome this bias by people ? How do we get the public to pay equal attention to both & demand the same service quality levels from each ?

There are of course, some government run services that are excellent, ironic as it is. The state-run Jungle Lodges & Resorts come to mind - the Cauvery fishing camp at Bheemeshwari & the Kabini river lodge at Nagarhole are both outstanding, perhaps better run than even private run star hotels. The other resorts by JLR are said to be very good, too (I have visited only these two). KSRTC's Inter-City A/C buses (Airaavatas), with Internet booking, are outstanding & none of the private operators match up.

On the other hand, we have BBMP, PWD, KPTCL, BWSSB & it's band of contractors, also the corrupt sub-registrars - what a dismal group !  More public works mean more money, more property sales mean more moolah, so rake in the greenbacks whilst not many eyebrows are being raised !!

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Narayan,

Actions speak louder than speeches.  the common man only comes in 1 month before voting.

If the common man really mattered

a. we would have better and wider pavements

b. better public transport

c. planting trees vs. cutting them so that motorists can zip through in comfort

d. BBMP would have spent money on bus shelters rather than on flyovers.  (How is it that BBMP can come up with rs.23 crores for an underpass but needs PPP for bus shelters?)

It is a government of the elite, by the elite and for the elite.  Never forget that

Srivathsa

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Srivatsa! Your very right...

Ironic as it may sound for a democracy, the elite govt for by elite people by elite people - is voted into power by the common man!!! Now this is gotta be one of the most shameful democracies!

Reminds of the George Owel's Animal Farm - I'm not surprise as to what could have inspire him!!

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Since BIAL started making news headlines preceding its opening, Mr. Brunner had to take the barrage of criticism, and brick-bats from all & sundry. For both good and bad reasons. He had become the firing target for everybody.

Now that Mr. Brunner is leaving, it would be interesting to see who the next target would be from Pro-HAL & Anti-BIAL campaigners. The businesses houses and their bosses whose feathers had been ruffled by Mr.Brunner on more than one occasion, now must be the most relieved to hear the news. I always believed that the cry for "Open HAL" was for much more than just shortcomings in BIAL project. Otherwise, we would not hear the cries for HAL again, even on news like exit of Mr. Brunner.

What a meltdown of progression in our thought process and rationality?

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I was trying to write what we might remember Mr Brunner for (via BIAL). Realize now that I unintentionally lead towards off-topic stuff.

BTW, I got in touch with BIAL PR to help us with that meeting with Mr Brunner which got postponed back in Sep/Oct. Lets see if we get his time. Would be good to meet him once, perhaps we'd get to hear somethings we don't know.

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Comments are free, more so in our argumentative culture, but facts are as sacred as the holy vedas.

Fact is HIAL by GMR is far far ahead of BIAL led by Siemens, Zurich Airports and L&T.

Enuf said.

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From inside information, Albert built the airport (at least partially), it was Marcel who got it opened.

Just one example, there was a point in JFM time frame where the customs house agents, and cargo agents were so incensed about the lack of facilities that they threatened to move all their cargo to Chennai. Hearing this, all the airlines backed off about flying to Bangalore. It was Marcel's empathetic, cooperative approach that corralled everybody together. Apparently it is this cooperative approach that has made the BIAL board of directors promote him.

Without removing any of the respect and admiration I have for Mr. Brunner, we are gushing and awing at something that is done routinely in Bangalore today. Be it Sobha, Prestige or Embassy. Infy is commissioning a building from start to finish in under 9 months. At Golf Links on Inner Ring Road, Embassy was lifting 1 million sq. ft at a time. 1.5 times the total size of the BIAL terminal

DIAL has done it Delhi, and will do it even faster for Terminal 3 - a 520Km2 behemoth. The second largest terminal in the world, only 7 times the size of the BIAL terminal.

So what's the big deal ? L&T was the executor at all 3 locations. Gammon India built the Hebbal flyover. Let us not allocate performance to one individual, for the achievements that were done by a team, majority Indian.

It is important to also remember, we are all gushing at the construction period of 3 years. That was achieved AFTER the state government gave the loan, all government bank guarantees were received, and ICICI gave the loan. Most public projects get delayed due to a delay in the release of funds, which was not a problem at BIAL, or RGIA, or IGIA.

Let us not get involved in to costing of BIAL, there is a pandora's box that can be opened on the costs.

The HSRL is going the same way. A note is circulating courtesy Mr. Sreedharan, that will cost Bangalore BIG TIME. The HSRL wants widening (by land acquisition) by the BBMP (so it will not be accounted to the HSRL) of 7.5~10 meters of road along the ENTIRE length of the HSRL from BRV onwards. This is the form of costs we do not see, that we actually pay.

For cost comparisons, let us see what AAI does at Chennai with the new terminal, in terms of cost, in performance, in time, and in execution.

Let us give praise to Mr. Brunner, for something strategic and far reaching -- changing the thinking of the government which has allowed private airports in India today. PPP is the mantra today. Some will say, too much of a mantra. PPP is not the panacea for all needs.

But, I do not think even Mr. Brunner will be proud of BIA. It is an acceptable decent efficient airport, but most definitely not anywhere close to what was promised, what was paid for, and most definitely, what the BIAL consortium was capable of delivering.

-----------------------

Regards

Devesh R. Agarwal

Visit my aviation blog at http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com

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BIAL was NOT the first PPP based airport in India. It was Cochin's Nedumbassery airpot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochin_International_Airport_Limited

Brunner and Co should stop spreading a deliberate campaign of disinformation about their "achievements".

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People should stop spreading negative and misinformation regarding BIAL just because HAL was shut down.

And for someone here who wanted BIAL to be like Dulles..Well, I can only imagine what our politicians and pro-HAL group would have said if BIAL made them check-in and go thru security in one terminal and then ferry them in a bus to another terminal (incase if any of you are not familiar with design of IAD, check-in in arrival/departure terminal and then push and shove and cram to get into a bus, oops I meant the mobile lounge, to get to their concourse which is another terminal by itself)

And regarding some of the blowhard CEOs of Bangalore's Bio-tech & Hi-tech companies who keep criticising BIAL as if they are aviation experts just because they passed thru few international airports, all I can say is they are not in the airport industry. As an outsider to airport industry their opinions are just their opinions, not a gospel truth.

The anti-BIAL whyners will always whyne no matter what BIAL does, but the fact is BIAL is an efficient airport and HAL was a social embarassment to Bangalore. Reopening HAL is like going back to stone age, and this could happen only in India, thanks to our politicians and the so called educated & world travelled beuracratic idiots.
Enough said!

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BIAL is deflecting issues. Even D K Shivakumar, the working president of KPCC has welcomed the resignation of Albert Brunner.

BIAL is substandard to HIAL. Period. The proof is there for all to see. Cargo operators do not have a choice.

Even if given a choice between HAL and BIAL - i am sure every airline and operator would move lock stock and barrel to HAL.

Why are "sophisticated" experts of BIAL afraid of competition? If you guys are so smart, i challenge you to accept open competition.

Mr Brunner and Co think that people of Bengaluru will fall for this threats that investment will be hurt if action is taken on BIAL.

Such an insane threat. BIAL is the Enron for Bangalore.

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Our so called "international" experts did not even get the airlines to sign bank guarantees, as it is done in many other leading International airports.

So much for their "quality".

Perhaps we have lessons to learn from this. R C Bhargava, the MD of Maruti recently remarked that expat managers have not succeeded well in the Indian enviroment, in contrast with Indian managers who have succeeded here and elsewhere. That GMR lead HIAL is far successfull is proof of this.

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Wow! I learnt so much today that I do not know how and whom to thank.

I am thankul to learn a new aphorism .. "comments (Is it the same as opinion?) are free, facts are sacred".

"BIAL is inferior to HIAL. Even if given a choice between HAL and BIAL - i am sure every airline and operator would move lock stock and barrel to HAL". This is not an opinion or comment. It is a fact. If you believe otherwise, then you are deluding yourself.

"DK Shivkumar welcomed Brunner's resignation, therefore the entire world should welcome it" . This is not just an opinion or comment. It is also more than a fact. It is moral absolutism. If you disagree, then you are committing heresy.

"expat managers have not succeeded well in the Indian enviroment, in contrast with Indian managers who have succeeded here and elsewhere. That GMR led HIAL is far successful is proof of this". This is not an opinion or a comment. It is also not just a fact. It is metaphysical certitude. If you disagree, then you are fit to be subjected to an inquisition.

For me, these will rank alongside Aesop's Fables as a sort of moral compass. Thanks again. I am already a better man!

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VVR - read before you comment. I never wrote that just because DKS welcome Brunner's resignation, even we need too.

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To all those pro-BIALers here as well as "experts" from "prestigious" universities et al - the report from AAI itself is straight from the horse's gut.

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Mcadambi,

The AAI report is a testimony of our sleeping beauties - AAI & KSIIDC. What were these guys doing all these 3 years when BIAL was constructed? Didn't AAI approved all the designs?

To be honest, a PIL should be filed against AAI and KSIIDC for dereliction of their duty in BIAL project? Lok Auykta should investigate all the bureaucrats, ministers and politicians who were connected with the BIAL? I am sure they have more to hide than their expert comments on BIAL.

It is the AAI and KSIIDC which have betrayed the people of Karnataka. Mr. Brunner did what a private enterprise does. Greed and naked selfishness is inherent characteristics of the private sector. Extract maximum profits on a minimum investment is their guiding principle. It doesn't care for the social cause or people's needs.

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Enough, isn't it? I hope many would agree that we have beaten this topic to death. Unless someone has new facts, stats or reports to add, please don't fight opinionated battles.

If anyone has real and deeper interest in investigating BIAL project, we have an RTI effort going on here that can do with help - more the merrier. Please join in.

Syed - is it possible to get Lokayukta to investigate BIAL. I mean, will this (not being a majority state government enterprise/project) fall outside of his jurisdiction!?

If the RTI replies give us good enough hints, we should pass all the details to Mr Hegde. We wont have the resources to expose corruption (if there is some here - I am not rushing towards a verdit right now) in such a large project.

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SB,

Lokayukta can investigate any body who is employed with Govt. of Karanataka.

Per say, Lokayukta may not be able to investigate BIAL, but it can certainly investigate the Officers from GOK connected with BIAL. The opening in BIAL is to investigate all the GOK bureacrats/Officers who approved/accord various permissions in building the new airport. It ranges from KSIIDC's officers who were directors on BIAL board, Pollution Control Department, Revenue officers,  and all other department officers who were responisble for giving the permission and approvals to BIAL.

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SB,

We need to be little bit more realistic and pragmatic in expecting results from RTI efforts. No bureaucrat would handover evidence in RTI responses that could self incriminate him and his clan. You might have noticed this in from responses received recently.

For pursuing with Lokayukta need much more than what we got until now. Only those people who have inside information and access to that damning evidence can help this cause. You, me and others have heard these in private conversations. But I don't think anybody would go that far to risk themselves and their interests.

Syed

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Syed, SB

You are right, the circle just goes around, and we are just flogging previously held opinions again and again. In addition to posting the info, my intent was for people to comment on Mr. Brunner and his impact on Bangalore. I guess I was wrong. We discussed everything but Mr. Brunner. May be becuase all most people know of him is what we read in the paper.

With regards to RTI, our efforts should be to get the minutes of the BIAL BOD meetings (MoMs). That will give us the inside picture and help us determine what really went on. From the structure of the Board, I can conclude that Siemens itself has enough directors to overrule anyone else. Even if the two GoK nominees, normally Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary Infrastructure, decided to do anything, there were outvoted in the board. It will not make sense to just criticise them.

From inside discussions, I gather, there was collusion at very high levels between the private promoters and MoCA. A simple instruction from higher ups would be enough to make the GoI nominees (AAI, DGCA, and MoCA) shut up and toe the line. In the jungle of bureaucracy, a Secretary in the GoK is well down the pecking order to a Minister or a GoI Secretary.

It is those MoMs that will give us a better picture, and we should focus our RTI at KSIIDC on that. Demand access to BOD meeting notices, agendas, and minutes of every BIAL BOD meeting. Let us not ask for copies. We should go there read, and then take out the respective minutes. The PIL hearing is in early Jan. Anyone can implead themselves in to the case and via affidavit offer evidence to the court.

-----------------------

Regards

Devesh R. Agarwal

Visit my aviation blog at http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com

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