The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : A-380 likely to touch Shamshabad airport during inaugural

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Saturday, Nov 03, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

A-380 likely to touch Shamshabad airport during inaugural

A. Saye Sekhar

Trial runs on the new airport to commence in mid-December

Forging ahead: V.S.Bobba MD, Menzies Aviation Bobba Pvt Ltd. with Paul Smith, Director, Menzies Aviation Asia, South Pacific

HYDERABAD: Airbus A-380 will land in the new Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad at its inauguration, if the efforts of the GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) bear fruit.

Authorities of GHIAL are making efforts to have the prestigious aircraft touch the ground in the new airport only to demonstrate the airport’s capability of handling the big bird. This will improve the prospect of such aircraft placing the city in its schedules.

Chief Operating Officer of GHIAL T. Srinagesh said in an informal chat on Thursday evening: “We are talking to them. Presently, there is only one A-380 aircraft. Its schedules are planned well in advance, as it has to cover several places.” He said 90 per cent of work on the airport was complete so far. Trial runs would commence towards mid-December.

Ground-handling

Menzies Aviation, a subsidiary of the UK-based John Menzies Plc, and Bobba Group formed into a joint venture and secured the ground-handling services (passenger and ramp) at the GHIAL. The JV will spend Rs. 100 crore at the new airport, according to Chairman and Managing Director of Bobba Group V.S. Bobba. Paul Smith, Regional Director of Menzies Aviation, said that the JV also secured the contract for cargo handling at the new Bangalore International Airport.

Though Menzies Aviation alone partnered GHIAL to handle cargo at the Hyderabad airport, the consortium (Menzies-Bobba) would bid for ground handling and cargo contracts at the upcoming Mumbai and Delhi international airports, he said.

Menzies Aviation, with 15,000 employees, was operating in 119 airports in 24 countries, handling 4.30 lakh flights and two million tonnes of cargo per year.

Bobba Group has been the general sales agent and ground-handling services provider to Lufthansa since 1993 at Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad.

Mr. Bobba said the equipment for ground-handling was being imported from UK and USA. The JV would achieve break-even in three-and-a-half years, while the concession agreement would be in force for seven years.

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