Bangalore: Karnataka Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Infrastructure, T John on April 11 said the ambitious Bangalore International Airport project was in an advanced stage of preparation on the engineering and technical side.

Bangalore International Airport Company Ltd, (BAIL) was working towards the financial closure by June/July 2003 and the work on the first phase of the project was expected to commence thereafter, he told a press conference.

Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Sripad Naik, whom John met recently in Delhi, has assured that the draft bill to amend the Airports Authority of India (AAI) Act was expected to come before the Cabinet for approval and would be passed in the current session of parliament.

He said BIAL is negotiating the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) and the operation and maintenance contracts and added that various project agreements, which were in advanced stage of discussion with legal advisors were likely to be finalised by May end.

John said the AAI and Director General Civil Aviation technical teams that visited the state between March 24 and 26 has cleared the feasibility of operation of smaller aircraft of up to 50 seats from Mysore and Hassan.

PTI