Bengaluru, Sept. 12 -- After years of dormancy in the commercial aviation sector, Bengaluru's HAL Airport could see passenger flights return well before May 2033, when the existing exclusivity agreement with Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) operator BIAL expires.

Discussions between the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Ministry of Civil Aviation, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and BIAL are already underway, exploring the revival of the centrally located airport, reported the Deccan Herald. The state government has gone a step further, urging BIAL to issue a No Objection Certificate (NOC) and even offering to cover potential financial losses.

HAL Airport, Bengaluru's primary airport from 1941 to 2008, currently handles non-...