Hyderabad Airport Raises Quality Bar

Hyderabad Airport Raises Quality Bar
Construction of India’s most modern airport at Hyderabad is in full swing with over 82 per cent of the work completed. Flight tests are scheduled in January 2008.

GHIAL is a joint venture of the GMR Group (50.1 per cent), Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad (11 per cent), Airports Authority of India (13 per cent), the Andhra Pradesh government (13 per cent) and others.

To be called the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, the first phase of the GMR-promoted construction, costing $247.8 million, will be completed in March 2008. The international airport would then double its capacity to 12 million passengers a year.

The airport can accommodate the eight-storey tall, Airbus A-380 - the largest passenger aircraft in the world that can carry 853 passengers. About $3 billion will be invested by 2025, which will include a second runway.

A low-cost terminal is expected to be ready in the next phase by 2012, which will enable the airport handle 15 million passengers annually.

The projected traffic growth rate for Hyderabad is a healthy 20 per cent a year for the next five years.

“The rule of thumb in mature markets is that aviation growth moves at twice the growth of GDP. We expect this to slow down to 10-12 percent in the sixth year,” GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) chief operating officer T Srinagesh told reporters.

The airport will notch up a number of firsts. It will have the longest runway at 4.26 km. Singapore’s Changi International Airport runway is currently the longest at 4 km. It will also have the tallest air traffic control (ATC) tower in the country at 75 metres. The airport would be the first to introduce a city check-in facility.

It will be the first airport to qualify for a Leeds certification, awarded to energy and resource efficient buildings. The airport would be among the first to offer fuel on an open access basis.

Equipment for ATC has already arrived at the Chennai port. The ATC tower is designed to look like a man in a hat overlooking the airport, says Srinagesh.

Interestingly, Hyderabad has the highest number in the country of people coming to see off or greet passengers, averaging 30 to a passenger. To tap this opportunity, space within the airport has been set aside for an “airport village” with food outlets, artisans’ corner and entertainment for these people.

GHIAL has also been approached by golf legend Greg Norman to construct a nine-hole golf course.

“Creating an airport of this stature using the latest technology will raise the bar of the quality of airports in India,” an aviation consultant at KPMG said.

“This airport will help reduce turnaround time required by low-cost airlines in terms of the aircraft being closer to the security ring, through use of aerobridges, thus eliminating the need for shuttles,” SpiceJet spokesman Ajay Jasra said.

From Oct 4, GHIAL is starting a series of trials for operations, readiness and airport transfer (ORAT). It will be conducted by Munich Airport that will stimulate a live airport environment.

It is part of the transition process to synchronize ticketing, baggage handling and reservation systems and will help migration to the new airport in March 2008.

The present Begumpet airport will then close to commercial flights according to the concession agreement between the Airports Authority of India and GHIAL.

A representation has also been made to the ministry of civil aviation following a GMR-sponsored feasibility study to look at rail connectivity to the airport to reduce congestion and pollution in future.