CM: Don’t let Aero India fly out of city

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Taking strong exception to the defence ministry’s plan to move Asia’s prestigious air show, Aero India out of Bengaluru, Chief Minister D. V. Sadananda Gowda on Tuesday appealed to defence minister A.K. Antony to reconsider the decision saying “it would be extremely counter-productive to try and start afresh at a new location.”

In a letter to Mr Antony, Mr Gowda pointed out that the BIA runway was closed for almost 30 days in April this year from 10.30 am to 5 pm for maintenance and repair, so, it would not be difficult to close the runway for five days during an Aero India show. He also added that Bengaluru had become a major global destination for air shows and that “considerable investment is being planned in developing Bengaluru Aerospace Park.” “Moving it out would be a retrograde step for the Indian aerospace industry in general, and Karnataka, in particular,” Mr Gowda contended.