Aero India 2023: Traffic snarls haunt commuters on rehearsal day in Bengaluru

PTI, Feb 11, 2023, 8:13 PM IST

Bengaluru: Rehearsals for the 14th edition of the Aero India show, which begins February 13, were held on Saturday.

However, there were huge traffic snarls on the 20-km stretch between Bengaluru City and Yelahanka Air Force Station where Aero India is being held on Saturday. Visitors to the show rehearsals and ordinary commuters on the route stuck in traffic for a long time, inviting criticisms about the traffic management.

Many visitors lamented the “poor traffic management.” If this is the situation on a rehearsal day, what would be the situation when the show begins, they wondered.

Traffic police sources said the work on the road between Yelahanka and the air force station has created a bottleneck and has created a major hurdle for smooth traffic flow.

Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the five-day biennial Aero India show starting from February 13 in Bengaluru.The show appears set to dazzle the enthusiasts with sorties, aerobatic performances and mid-air formations.

According to Aero India’s official website, 807 exhibitors including 109 from abroad have confirmed their participation at the Air Force Station at Yelahanka.

Defence officials said many fighter aircraft and helicopters will perform during the aerospace and defence exhibition, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. There will be an India Pavilion at the Aero India show, which is based on a Fixed Wing Platform theme to showcase India’s growth in the area.

India’s Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, a single engine, light weight, highly agile, multi-role supersonic fighter, will be at the centre stage of India Pavilion. Apart from aerobatic performances, there will also be discussions and seminars during the show. Various aviation companies and component manufacturers will also display their products during the show.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will chair the aerospace and defence industries’ ‘CEOs Round Table’ on February 13. The platform with theme ”Sky is not the limit: opportunities beyond boundaries” is expected to lay the foundation of a robust interaction between the industry partners and government to give thrust to ‘Make-in India’ campaign, officials said.

The Defence Minister will host the ‘Defence Minister’s Conclave on February 14. The conclave will comprise defence ministers of friendly foreign countries who would also be attending Aero India 2023. It would address aspects related to deepening cooperation for capacity building through investments, research and development, joint venture, co-development, co-production and provisioning of defence equipment, training, space, artificial intelligence and maritime security to grow together with the broad theme ‘Shared Prosperity through Enhanced Engagements in Defence (SPEED).

Singh will also be the chief guest at the ‘Bandhan ceremony’ on February 15. Bandhan ceremony is mainly a tie-up with firms by way of signing the memoranda of understanding, agreements, major announcements and product launches by private and public sector.

(with PTI inputs)