The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Hassle-free air travel on the cards

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 11, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Hassle-free air travel on the cards

M.L. Melly Maitreyi

New airport to have 1.15 million sft integrated terminal for domestic/international flights

HYDERABAD: As the countdown for the high-profile inauguration on March 14 and commencement of operations from March 16 at the Shamshabad International Airport begins, the curiosity quotient among frequent fliers is mounting.

Will the experience of travelling public be truly enhanced? Will the not-so-pleasant prospect of long distance commuting to the airport be more than compensated by proposed world-class facilities and services there?

These questions notwithstanding, officials at the GMR Hyderabad International Airport say they are leaving no stone unturned in providing a smooth and hassle-free experience - from the time a passenger enters the 1.15 million sft integrated terminal for domestic/international flights with 130 counters to completing formalities of check-in, security clearance and reaching the departure area.

Elaborate facilities

The departure area has shopping, F&B, retail and duty-free outlets where passengers can spend time till his/her ‘Gate’ is announced. Then, it is off to the elevator/escalator to reach ‘E’ level, enter the boarding bridge and get into the aircraft.

For those disembarking, four conveyor belts, one 70 m and three 90 m long (one dedicated to A 380), for domestic and international flights can take the baggage of 550 passengers at a time and expedite the process of baggage pick-up “The aim is to enable the first baggage to be picked up in 12 minutes and the last one in 29 minutes.”

Immigration counters for international travellers will be geared to clear formalities in 10 to 30 minutes. “This could be attained only when the staff is also attuned to the functioning in international airports, helping change the focus from the control to facilitating mode. To give them an orientation, staff from CISF, immigration, customs were taken to Singapore Airport,” they say.

First in India

Airport village, a first in India is the place for retail, restaurants, supermarkets outside the passenger terminal building. The 40,000-odd sft covered village with free entry is also the place where visitors can see off passengers.

There will be a separate car park for pre-paid, radio taxis with automated Flight Information Display System and a separate public transportation centre further away. The airport will run free shuttle service from terminal to the public transportation centre.

The international airport with 4.26 km runway, the longest in the country with one taxiway, 12 aero bridges, and the tallest ATC building at 75 m is also the first one in the country to have LEED certification for energy efficiency, officials say. The modular passenger terminal building has 12 skylights with ‘temple leaf’ architecture, to reflect distinct Indian culture.

The airport, to begin with, will operate 22 airlines to 35 destinations and handle 7 million passengers and 65 lakh tonnes freight a year. It is expected to operate to its present capacity of 12 million passengers and one lakh tonnes freight by the year 2011.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh