The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Rajiv Gandhi Airport expansion plan getting ready

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Monday, Jun 02, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Rajiv Gandhi Airport expansion plan getting ready

K. Srinivas Reddy

Upward trend in passenger traffic

HYDERABAD: A little over two months into commencement of operations, the think-tank behind the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) is huddled back around the drawing board chalking out plans for expansion of the country’s first Greenfield airport.

The upward trend in passenger traffic and cargo operations over the past few years and the projected growth in coming years have prompted the airport operator, the GMR, to launch an exercise to prepare a Dynamic Strategic Plan. The plan to be completed within six months will be submitted to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).

Growth rate

The present infrastructure at the RGIA was planned to handle 12 million passengers per year. The average increase in the Cumulative Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for the last five years was around 25 per cent and in the next five years, it could stabilise at around 16 per cent all over the country. However, Hyderabad is poised to register an average of 25 per cent during the same period, airline sources say.

This projection for Hyderabad, anchored in the increase in passenger traffic and cargo handling from 2004 to 2008, has spurred the GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) to sit up and get onto the business of preparing the future expansion plan.

The Dynamic Strategic Plan would revolve around aero-related and non-aero-related infrastructure development. The aero-related plans include the expansion or modernisation of the terminals, ATC and runway etc, while the non-aero-related would include planning for further improvement in cargo handling, ground handling, and fuel-related facilities, apart from catering and car parking services.

The present runway at RGIA is handling 25 to 27 Air Traffic Movements (ATMs) during peak hours vis-À-vis its capacity of 35 to 37 ATMs. The GHIAL would now seek MoCA’s opinion on constructing a second runway and also whether it should construct a low cost terminal.

The need for a second runway is triggered by the proposed introduction of GAGAN (GPS and GEO Augmented Navigation) system, in which the networking of all the radars to provide seamless navigation service for the aircraft in flight. GAGAN is an ambitious project of AAI and ISRO. Introduction of GAGAN is expected to boost flight operations thereby increasing passenger traffic.

The RGIA has handled 13.80 lakh passengers and the number of Air Traffic Movements (ATMs) stood at 17,000 between March 23 and May 31.

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