Bangalore, Jul 30: The Bengaluru International Airport Ltd (BIAL) will take up expansion of Terminal-I at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore to take up the capacity to handle 25 million passengers per annum in the next 18 months, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said today.

The state government holds a stake of 13 per cent in the green field airport completed in 2008 for its land component.

The government has provided 2,500 acre of land near Devanahalli, about 35 km from the city, and the airport is promoted by a consortium of Indian and multinational corporations.

Briefing newspersons after a presentation of expansion proposal made by the management of BIAL and GVK Group, Mr Yeddyurappa said the Joint Legislature Committee, which inspected the facilities for passengers, had pointed out the shortcomings and the GVK group, which had acquired 29 per cent stakes recently, had come forward to invest funds needed for upgradition.

The JLC, appointed following complaints by the legislators over lack of facilities at the Airport, had in its report pointed out that the space available for passengers was less than the space made available for commercial purpose and hence the proposal for expansion had been mooted.

He said the authorities had assured that the expansion would be completed within 18 months after commencement. An Expert Committee would be appointed to go through the expansion works.

Official sources said that the expansion would add 50,000 sqm to the present 71,000 sqm and the availability of space would be about 25,000 sqm from the present 18,000 sqm.

By the year 2017, the BIAL would be in a position to handle 16 million to 17 million passengers from the present 11 million passengers.

Our Correspondent