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The Shamshabad Airport – A Jewel In India’s Infrastructure
New Delhi, April
14, 2008
| By Ramakrishna R Chitturi
On March 14, 2008 Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, United
Progressive Alliance that runs the coalition government in
India at the Centre inaugurated the Hyderabad’s new
international airport, christened as “Rajiv Gandhi
International Airport” at Shamshabad, about 25 kilometers
from Hyderabad’s central business district, Andhra
Pradesh, India. |
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This was exactly 3 years after she laid down the foundation
stone on March 14, 2005. The airport is the first
public-private partnership in the Indian airport
infrastructure sector between GMR Infrastructure Ltd,
Malaysian Airports Holding Berhad, Airports Authority of India
and government of Andhra Pradesh. Built on a 5,495 acre site
at a cost of about US$ 530 million it is India’s most modern
airport comparable to the best in the world. The spanking
airport with the state-of-the art facilities has been designed
by Hong Kong architects Winston Shu and Gumund Stokke. The
final cost of the project is estimated to touch US$ 3 billion.
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SALIENT FEATURES
The airport has the longest taxiway in South Asia at 4,260
meters to accommodate code F aircrafts including the world’s
largest A380; over 100,000 square meters terminal to handle 12
million passengers a year with an ultimate capacity to handle
40 million passengers per annum; the tallest air traffic
control (ATC) tower in the country at 75 meters and 12 contact
and 30 remote stands for 42 aircraft parking. |
The green field
airport, first of its kind in the country incorporates the
best facilities in Oslo, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and
Singapore. The non-polluting airport with ‘Leeds’ Certificate
for energy efficiency and environmental design – rare for any
airport (except the Boston airport in the US) with glass
encased terminal which promises natural light to the
passengers is India’s most modern, gleaming and hassle – free
airport. The retail area in the airport will have a
contemporary ambience akin to a modern Duty Free and paid
shopping space. This is a unique and first of its kind model
featuring a walk – through concept. The modular design of the
airport will allow incremental expansion of each area, without
major rebuilding or operational disruption.
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AEROTROPOLIS
The new airport is not a mere addition to the country’s
airports. It is the country’s first aerotropolis, a new
urban hub (modified airport village) that would house
business parks, hotels, shopping arcade, hospitals,
residential quarters and entertainment areas.
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It would be developed on the
lines of aerotropolis at Inchaeon, Seoul (South Korea), Dubai,
Munich and Hong Kong international airports. An aerotropolis
offers operational convenience for companies and organizations
to maximize the benefits, while cutting down on expenditure
significantly.
Apollo Hospitals is setting up a 17-bedded emergency medical
center. A 308 room business hotel is being developed. The
French based Accor Hotels and Resorts of Singapore will
operate the hotel as per international Novotel Brand
standards. The real estate developers have taken up housing
projects catering to airport employees, techies and
non-resident Indians.
THINGS TO UNFOLD
The new airport has many things to unfold - culture, travel,
business and development. Speaking at the inaugural function
Sonia Gandhi said “Air connectivity has a vital role to play
in accelerating the development of interior and backward
regions where our cultural and historical heritage lies
unexplored and unvisited”. The government of Andhra Pradesh
has plans to start 9 more airports. “With the increase in the
number of airports, the export level of perishable goods is
also expected to go up”, asserted, Gandhi. “Air travel is no
longer elitist and the entry of private airlines has virtually
opened up the skies” she added. Praful Patel, India’s Civil
Aviation Minister who was also present at the inaugural
function of the new international airport, said that the
definition of airport has to be reframed as it is now an
economic tool for common mass.
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AVIATION CLUB
Located strategically as geographical centre of India,
Hyderabad is likely to become a major domestic and
international aviation hub. It is within a 2 hour flying
time to all major cities in India and a 4 hour from all
major cities in the Middle East and South East Asia.
“We not only have the potential to become one of the
major hubs in India but also a major hub for |
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traffic between East and West”,
points out, chief operating officer of GMR
Hyderabad
International Airport Limited (GHIAL) – the airport
developers.
Therefore, the Shamshabad airport is well positioned to become
a key aviation hub like Dubai and Singapore. In 2004, there
were over 50 airports in India, it is about 85 today and the
number is expected to grow further in the coming years.
Currently, there are 11 international airlines and 11 domestic
airlines operating from Hyderabad flying to over 35
destinations. The airport handles 150 flights a day and number
is likely to reach 300-350 by the end of the current financial
year.
Several airlines are waiting to connect Hyderabad. The British
Airways is to launch its first flight from Heathrow on October
27, 2008. The Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, plans
daily flights from June 2008. Emirates and other airlines plan
to increase frequency. GHIAL, expects at least 30 percent
increase in frequencies to Gulf, a key region considering the
large number of people from Andhra Pradesh employed there. The
number of passengers is expected to go from 7 million to 8.4
million in the first year of operations. This would include
2.4 million international passengers.
The city has become an important economic centre in India. The
number of IT companies with headquarters in Hyderabad has
earned it the reputation of India’s second Silicon Valley. The
city is also a major centre for biotechnology and
pharmaceutical companies. With the huge world class airport in
hand the city is likely to grow further as a major business
centre. After all, any business man interested to invest in a
city will look for good connectivity.
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CARGO HUB
The airport is also expected to become a cargo hub in
South-East Asia. “The airports are no more used only for
passenger transportation but also for the cargo moment as
well” stated Sonia Gandhi. A large world class cargo
terminal for processing of cargo and mail and cold chain
infrastructure at the airport would help the farmers of
the state to export their produce and increase their
income.
It is estimated that
100,000 metric tons of cargo can be handled initially from the
existing level of 40,000 metric tons to reach 1 million metric
tons later. The world class infrastructure of cargo handling
at the airport will boost the economic and industrial activity
in the state. Anticipating a rapid growth in freighter market, Secunderabad based flyington freighters decided to expand
their activity with the purchase of new aircrafts exclusively
to handle cargo.
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DHL has announced that the new airport would
be its cargo hub.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
According to Professor John D. Kasarda, Director of the US
based Frank Kawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise who
coined the word “aerotropolis” , airports would do what
seaports, railways and highways did in the past, resulting in
the phenomenal growth of business locations. Professor
Kasarda’s research on how airports affected growth in major
cities revealed that spines and clusters of airport-linked
business would form along airport transportation corridors in
a radius of 25 kilometers. “There will be significant economic
impact up to 90 kilometers”, he observed.
INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT
The airport is expected to act as magnet to stimulate new
investment around the airport in the areas of information
technology, information technology enabled services,
biotechnology and semiconductor and give further impetus to
the development of the city. Plans are afoot to set up India’s
first chip manufacturing facility in the vicinity of the new
airport. This cluster, likely to come up with an investment of
US $ 7 billion over the next decade shall house units
manufacturing solar cells and solar energy systems with
significant employment potential.
Hyderabad has emerged as India’s leading centre for higher
education and health care and the airport would help the
region to consolidate and move ahead in these areas as well.
The mega infrastructure projects like world class Outer Ring
Road, the Elevated Expressway and the proposed Metro Railway
are expected to give greater impetus to the development of the
city. “Airports today are considered to be engines to drive
the economic growth of a nation and generate employment. This
airport will create half a million direct and indirect jobs
and will be a major contributor to the development of the
state”, said GM Rao, Chairman, GMR Group.
CLOSURE OF EXISTING AIRPORT
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Ministry of Civil Aviation, government of India notified
the commencement of operations at Shamshabad airport from
March 23, 2008. The Ministry also confirmed that the
existing Begumpet airport at Hyderabad would no longer be
available for civil aviation operations.
Lufthansa flight LH753 from Frankfurt touched down
Shamshabad runway on March 23,
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2008, to become the first flight to commence its
civil aviation operations from the
new airport, while the last flight to take off from
the Begumpet airport was Thai
Airways International flight TG330 to Bangkok on
March 22, 2008
TEETHING PROBLEMS
The new airport is not, free from teething problems. There are
organizational, mechanical and technical problems generally
usual to new international airports. As of now road
connectivity to the airport, is a major irritant. But, a
crucial Expressway connecting the new airport to the city
named after late Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao under whose
premiership Indian economy underwent a significant
transformation who hailed from the state is under completion.
It would take a few months and until its completion there
would be discomfort to the travelers but their patience would
be well paid.
CONCLUSION
The new airport at Shamshabad is a model public-private
partnership project that will set benchmark for future
initiates in infrastructure development. “The new airport
symbolizes India’s focus on improving infrastructure”, said
Werner Heesen, Director (South Asia), Lufthansa. It will
promote the brand image of Hyderabad like Kuala Lumpur with
its international airport. In fact, airports add value to the
cities. They become world class cities with world class
airports. Hyderabad by no means is an exception. “We are going
to talk about this airport wherever we go”, said one
passenger. The airport is set to position Hyderabad as a
prominent player in the global aviation map contributing to
the prosperity, development and economic well being of the
region.
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