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AAI plans massive overhaul of airports
Shakti S. Singh
Airports in India are in for a major overhaul to bring them on par with international standards. On the anvil is corporatisation of metro airports, modernisation and expansion of airports, creation of new airports and upgradation of some domestic airports to international airports.
The Airports Authority of India has begun the mammoth task of developing airport infrastructure that will involve upgradation of terminals, aprons and runways, introducing newer technology like Communication Navigation Surveillance and Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM), and cargo development works. AAI has a budget of around Rs 750 crore for 2005-06.
AAI manages 11 international airports, 88 domestic airports and 77 civil enclaves. It controls and manages the entire Indian airspace (excluding the special user airspace) extending beyond the territorial limits, as accepted by AAI.
Perhaps, the biggest task for AAI is corporatisation of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata airports that will infuse much-needed capital into modernisation of these airports. Accordingly, AAI has invited consultants, both financial and legal, to advise the latter on the entire process. As part of this effort, the airports authority has decided to set up a parallel cargo terminal at IGI Airport in New Delhi through a joint venture between AAI and the private sector. With this AAI hopes to offer air travellers better services and increased efficiency through healthy competition.
Some of the development works proposed for the four major international airports during the ongoing 10th Five Year Plan include:
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport
- 9 aircraft stands for domestic apron
- 4 aircraft stands for international apron
- Modification-cum-extension of Terminal 1B
- Modification-cum-extension of Terminal II B
- Extension of taxi tracks
Indira Gandhi
International Airport
- 40 aircraft stands for domestic apron
- 40 aircraft stands for international apron
- Modification-cum-extension of Terminal 1B
- Construction of parallel runway, including taxiways, to cater to A380 aircraft
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport
- 10 aircraft stands for domestic apron
- 2 aircraft stands for cargo apron
- New two-level international terminal building departure, including 6 aerobridges
- Integrated cargo terminal building
- Facilitation building-cum-elevated corridor to elevated railway station
- Administration building
Chennai International Airport
- Parallel runways, including taxiways, for A380
- 30 aircraft stands for domestic apron
- 20 aircraft stands for international apron
- 3 hangars for domestic area and 3 for international subject to land acquisition
- Administration building
An important feature of airport upgradation is meeting the challenges posed by the ever-increasing air traffic and advancement in aircraft technology. For instance, the CNS/ATM programme, as outlined by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, includes:
- Replacement of ground-based communication, navigation and surveillance (CNS) with satellite-based CNS system
- Establishment of Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS)
- Automation in air traffic control services
- Establishment of Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS)
- Coverage of the Indian landmass through satellite communication, VHF data links and monopulse secondary surveillance radar with mode 'S' capability
Apart from the projects associated with international airports, the non-metro airports are also being taken up for upgradation and modernisation. These include:
10 non-metro airports (phase-I): Ahmedabad, Udaipur, Jaipur, Amritsar and Guwahati in Group-I; and Trivandrum, Mangalore, Madurai, Goa and Lucknow in Group-II
15 non-metro airports (phase-II): Agatti, Aurangabad, Khajuraho, Rajkot and Vadodra in Group-I; Bhopal, Indore, Nagpur, Visakhapatnam and Trichy in Group-II; and Bhubaneswar, Coimbatore, Patna, Port Blair and Varanasi in Group-III.
The works in these cases pertain to development of city side portion of the airports for generation of non-aeronautical revenue. The proposed works for the first 10 non-metro airports (phase-I) are being evaluated by: (Group I) GTA-Pell Frischmann Group & IFC- Ernst & Young; and (Group II) GTA- Three Continent Airport Group & IFC-UTI Bank.
Indeed, once these projects are implemented, they could redefine air travel in years to come.
| 10 Major Projects of AAI |
|
Project |
Rs. Crore |
Imp. Stage |
| Mumbai & Delhi Airport Projects - Modernisation |
5000.00 |
Planning |
| International Airport Terminal (Chennai) |
1100.00 |
Under Execution |
| Airports (Mumbai & Delhi) - Expansion |
423.89 |
Partially Completed |
| Domestic Mumbai Airport - Expansion |
200.00 |
Nascent |
| Vizag Airport - Expansion |
191.00 |
Under Execution |
| Kolkata Airport - Renovation |
150.00 |
Under Execution |
| International Airport (Dabolim) - Renovation |
150.00 |
Planning |
| International Airport (Rajasansi) - Renovation |
150.00 |
Under Execution |
| Airport (Bajpe-Mangalore) - Renovation |
120.00 |
Under Execution |
| Udaipur Airport |
110.00 |
Planning |
[2 May 2005]
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