Airport operator to press ahead with Bangalore project

Despite financial problems at home, Unique is investing in a project in India Keystone Archive

The company which runs Zurich airport is to press ahead with plans to participate in building an airport in Bangalore, India, despite facing severe financial difficulties. Zurich is expected to be hard hit by Swissair's decision to scale back its operations.

Zurich airport’s operator, Unique, is facing a SFr2.3 billion ($1.43 billion) bill for its ambitious expansion programme for the Swiss hub at a time when its main customer, Swissair, is planning to reduce its flight schedule.

Nevertheless, it is intending to press ahead with its investment in a new airport in Bangalore.

Unique spokesman, Andreas Siegenthaler, said his company was taking the long-term view. “Airports are always long-term infrastructures… and mobility is something which is needed more and more all over the world, so these long-term investments make sense.”

Two years ago, Unique formed a consortium with Siemens and an Indian engineering firm to win a tender from the provincial government of Karnataka to build the new airport in Bangalore.

Siegenthaler said the project was an important step for the company. “We have been working for other airports, especially in consulting [but] Bangalore is the only project with we are now involved, and compared with the investment in Zurich it is really small.

swissinfo