It is a peculiar real-estate sale, an airport is up for sale in south India. Yes, the Sri Sathya Sai Airport, sited in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, has been put up for sale. The airport’s owner, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, which manages the religious and philanthropic assets and work of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, has invited global bids for the same.
The base price has been fixed at Rs.600 crore. The prime reason for the existence of the airport was to enable devotees of Sri Sathya Sai Baba to easily visit his ashram - Prashanthi Nilayam at Puttaparthy. Now, that the Bangalore International Airport is coming up at Devanahalli, only 70 km away this airport can be used as a getaway to feed the southern sector and the trust feels that this should be done by a professional entity.
The biggest sale attraction for this airport it’s proximity from Bangalore International Airport, Devanahalli (70 km). The vantage location will enable airlines to feed the southern sector, which has 30 major and minor airports. Another bonus for the buyer is an additional 2,000 acres of adjoining land which is being sold along with the airport. The additional 2,000 acres land could be used either for real estate development or for setting up a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility for aircrafts.
Currently the airport is spread over 450 acres and has a 2,230 metres long runway and being used mostly by chartered aircraft. Recently Kingfisher and Indian have started operating flights through this airport as a mid-point stop for their Hyderabad-Visakhapatnam services. Domestic aviation industry is abuzz that Capt. G R Gopinath, who pioneered low-cost flying in India with Air Deccan, has tied up with a Mumbai-based public figure to file a bid for the airport. When enquired Gopinath, denied all reports.
Internal sources say that Dubai-based real estate developer Limitless LLC is also in the fray to purchase this prime piece of land along with the airport. Limitless is an integrated real estate development company and a unit of Dubai World, one of Dubai’s leading business groups.
There is a lot of action expected to happen which would probably catapult the sleepy and searing hot pilgrim town of Puttaparthy into a realestate and aviationoi hub in South India.
