Rajiv Gandhi International Airport

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Rajiv Gandhi International Airport
రాజీవ్ గాంధీ అంతర్జాతీయ విమానాశ్రయం
راجیو گاندھی بین الاقوامی ہوائی اڈا
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Logo.svg
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.jpg
IATA: HYDICAO: VOHS
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner/Operator GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL)
Serves Hyderabad
Location Shamshabad, Hyderabad, Telangana
Hub for
Focus city for
Elevation AMSL 617 m / 2,024 ft
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Website www.hyderabad.aero
Map
HYD is located in India airports
HYD
HYD
Location in India
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
09L/27R 3,707 12,162 Asphalt
09R/27L 4,260 13,976 Asphalt
Statistics (2015)
Passengers 11,907,089
Aircraft movements 100,410
Cargo tonnage 107,919

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (IATA: HYDICAO: VOHS) is an international airport that serves Hyderabad, the largest city in the Indian state of Telangana. It is located in Shamshabad, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Hyderabad. The airport is operated by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, a public–private venture. It was opened in March 2008 to replace Begumpet Airport as the primary commercial airport for Hyderabad. It is named after Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India.

The airport has one passenger terminal, a cargo terminal and two runways. There are also aviation training facilities, a fuel farm, a solar power plant and two MRO facilities.

As of 2015, RGIA is the sixth busiest airport by passenger traffic in India, serving 11.9 million passengers. The airport serves as a hub for Blue Dart Aviation, SpiceJet, Lufthansa Cargo and TruJet, and as a focus city for Air India, IndiGo and Jet Airways.

Check-in area of the terminal
Departures area

History

The idea to construct a new airport for Hyderabad was first conceived around 1997 by the N. Chandrababu Naidu administration.[1] The existing commercial airport, Begumpet Airport, was unable to handle rising passenger traffic. The State Government initially considered converting Hakimpet Air Force Station to civilian use; however, the Air Force refused.[2] When the State proposed the construction of a new airport for the Air Force, the Ministry of Defence suggested the State consider sites south of Begumpet Airport.[1]

By October 1998, the State had narrowed down to three possible locations for the new airport: Bongloor, Nadergul and Shamshabad.[3] Due to its convenient location near two highways (NH 7 and NH 765) and a railway line,[1] Shamshabad was selected in December 1998.[4]

In November 2000, the State Government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) signed a memorandum of understanding on the airport project, establishing it as a public–private partnership. The State and AAI together would hold a 26% stake in the project, while the remaining 74% would be allotted to private companies.[5] Through a bidding process, a consortium consisting of GMR Group and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) was chosen as the holder of the 74% stake.[1][5] In December 2002, Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (HIAL), later renamed GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL), was created as a special purpose entity, into which the State, AAI and GMR–MAHB placed their stakes.[1][6]

In September 2003, the members of GHIAL signed a shareholders' agreement, as well as an agreement for state subsidy of over 400 crore (US$59 million).[1][7] A concession agreement between GHIAL and the Central Government was signed in December 2004, stipulating that no airport within a 150-kilometre (93 mi) radius of RGIA could be operated.[8] Thus, the closure of Begumpet Airport was required.[9]

Construction and opening

Construction began on 16 March 2005 when Sonia Gandhi laid the foundation stone.[10] Two days prior, the Central Government had named the airport after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi,[11] who had undergone pilot training in Hyderabad.[12] The naming resulted in opposition from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). At Begumpet Airport, the international terminal was named after Rajiv Gandhi while the domestic terminal was named after TDP founder N. T. Rama Rao; the TDP wanted to continue this naming convention at the new airport. However, the new airport has only one terminal.[13]

The airport was inaugurated on 14 March 2008 amid protests. The Telugu Desam Party repeated its demand for the naming of the domestic terminal.[12] In addition, on 12 and 13 March, 20,000 AAI employees had conducted a strike against the closure of Begumpet Airport, as well as that of HAL Airport in Bangalore, fearing they would lose their jobs.[14][15]

RGIA was originally scheduled to open to commercial operations on 16 March 2008; however, the date was delayed due to protests from some airlines over the high ground handling rates at the airport. Once the rates were reduced, the launch date was set for 23 March.[16] Although Lufthansa Flight 752 from Frankfurt was scheduled to be the first flight to land at RGIA, two SpiceJet flights landed earlier.[17] However, the Lufthansa flight still received the planned ceremonial welcome upon its 12:25 am arrival.[17][18]

Later developments

In September 2011, SpiceJet launched its regional hub at RGIA, using its new Bombardier Q400 aircraft.[19] The airline, which chose Hyderabad due to its central location in the country,[20] flies to several Tier-II and Tier-III cities from the airport.[21]

In November 2014, the Ministry of Civil Aviation resolved that the domestic terminal of RGIA would be named after N. T. Rama Rao, resulting in protests from members of the Rajya Sabha.[22][23] Airport officials remained unsure as to how the naming would occur.[24]

Regional airline TruJet opened its hub at RGIA upon commencing operations in July 2015.[25]

Ownership

RGIA is owned and operated by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), a public–private venture. It is composed of public entities Airports Authority of India (13%) and the Government of Telangana (13%), as well as a private consortium between GMR Group (63%) and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (11%).[26] Per the concession agreement between GHIAL and the Central Government, GHIAL has the right to operate the airport for 30 years, with the option to continue doing so for another 30 years.[27]

Runways

The airport has two runways. The original runway is 09R/27L, which has dimensions 4,260 by 60 metres (13,980 ft × 200 ft).[28] It can receive the Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger aircraft.[29] A second runway, 09L/27R, was inaugurated in February 2012. It measures 3,707 by 45 metres (12,162 ft × 148 ft)[28] and can handle aircraft up to the size of the Airbus A340 and Boeing 747.[30]

Terminal

RGIA has a single passenger terminal, which covers 105,300 square feet (9,780 m2) and can handle 12 million passengers per year.[31] It is an integrated terminal, serving both domestic and international flights. There are 96 check-in counters, 19 kiosks for self check-in, 46 immigration counters and 9 gates connected to the terminal by jetways.[32] Plaza Premium Lounge operates two lounges and a transit hotel in the terminal, and there are three lounges for VIPs.[33]

Expansion

Expansion plans were initially delayed in 2009 due to lower passenger numbers than expected.[34][35] However, with the airport expected to reach its capacity in 2016, GHIAL revived the plans in late 2015.[36] The first leg of the second phase will bring the capacity to 18 million passengers annually, and the second leg will raise it to 20 million. Once GHIAL receives approval from the Central Government, it expects construction on the second phase to take 18–20 months. The final phase of expansion will increase the terminal capacity to 40 million passengers annually.[37]

Airlines and destinations

File:I Believe I Can Fly (16851510541).jpg
British Airways provides RGIA's sole nonstop link to Europe, flying to London–Heathrow with the Boeing 787-8
An Air India Boeing 747-400 taxiing for departure to Jeddah

Passenger

Airlines Destinations
Air Arabia Sharjah
Air Costa Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Jaipur, Tirupati
Air India Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Chicago–O'Hare, Delhi, Dubai–International, Goa, Jeddah, Kolkata, Kuwait, Mumbai, Muscat, Pune, Tirupati, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam
Air India Regional Bhopal, Jabalpur, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam
AirAsia Kuala Lumpur–International
British Airways London–Heathrow
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong
Emirates Dubai–International
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi
flydubai Dubai–International
Gulf Air Bahrain
IndiGo Agartala, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Coimbatore (resumes 22 June 2016),[38] Dehradun, Delhi, Dubai–International, Goa, Guwahati, Indore, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur (begins 22 June 2016),[38] Pune, Raipur, Trivandrum, Visakhapatnam
Jet Airways Abu Dhabi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Delhi, Kochi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Mangalore, Pune, Rajahmundry, Vadodara
Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur–International
Oman Air Muscat
Qatar Airways Doha
Saudia Dammam, Jeddah, Riyadh
SilkAir Singapore
SpiceJet Agartala, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Dubai–International, Goa, Kochi, Kolkata, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Rajahmundry, Tirupati, Udaipur, Varanasi, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam
Thai Airways Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi
Tigerair Singapore
TruJet Aurangabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Goa, Kadapa, Rajahmundry, Tirupati, Nagpur, Vijayawada
Vistara Chandigarh, Delhi

Cargo

The following cargo airlines fly to RGIA:

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Statistics

Annual passenger traffic and aircraft movements at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport
Year Passenger traffic Aircraft movement
Passengers Percent change Aircraft movements Percent change
2015 11,907,089[46] +21.7% 100,410[47] +7.4%
2014 9,786,925[46] +13.3% 93,508[47] +7.4%
2013 8,635,290[48] +4.3% 87,034[49] −6.7%
2012 8,277,328[48] +0.1% 93,295[49] −1.9%
2011 8,270,764[50] +13.3% 95,073[51] +16.3%
2010 7,298,064[50] +14.8% 81,732[51] +2.8%
2009 6,356,673[52] 79,515[53]

GMR Aerospace Park

The GMR Aerospace Park contains several facilities primarily related to the aviation sector.[54] It has a 250-acre (100 ha) special economic zone, which includes a 20-acre (8.1 ha) Free Trade and Warehousing Zone, as well as a domestic tariff area.[55]

Aviation training

The GMR Aviation Academy is located in the park. It was established in 2009 in cooperation with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Airports Council International (ACI) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The academy offers programmes related to airport operations, which are accredited by the listed organisations.[56][57] The park also includes the Asia Pacific Flight Training (APFT) academy, an initiative of GMR Group and Asia Pacific Flight Training. Launched in 2013, it provides pilot training courses.[58][59]

GMR Aero Technic Ltd MRO

The MRO operated by GMR Aero Technic Ltd is one of two MROs at the airport. Built at a cost of 350 crore (US$52 million) and inaugurated in March 2012,[60] the facility can handle up to five aircraft simultaneously.[61] Initially, the MRO was a joint venture between GMR Group and Malaysian Aerospace Engineering (MAE), a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines. However, amid its parent's poor financial situation following the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 incident, MAE was unable to fund the MRO, which had been accruing losses.[62] GMR bought out MAE's stake in December 2014.[63]

Other facilities

Air India MRO

The other MRO is operated by Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL), a subsidiary of Air India. Spread over 5 acres (2.0 ha), the facility cost 79 crore (US$12 million) to construct and was opened in May 2015.[64][65]

Cargo terminal

The cargo terminal, with a Lufthansa Cargo Boeing 777F being unloaded

The cargo terminal is located west of the passenger terminal. It covers 14,330 square metres (154,200 sq ft) and can handle 150,000 tonnes (170,000 short tons) of cargo annually.[66] The terminal is operated by Hyderabad Menzies Air Cargo Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between GHIAL (51%) and Menzies Aviation (49%).[67] Within the terminal is the Pharma Zone, a temperature-controlled facility designed for storing pharmaceuticals. The first such facility to be opened at an Indian airport, it is important to RGIA as pharmaceuticals account for 70% of exports from the airport.[67][68] In May 2011, Lufthansa Cargo launched its first pharma hub at the airport.[69]

Fuel farm

The airport has a fuel farm consisting of three storage tanks, with a total capacity for 13,500 kilolitres (480,000 cu ft) of jet fuel. The tanks are connected to the apron via underground pipelines.[29] Reliance Industries built and operates the farm, which can be used by any oil company under an open-access model.[70]

Solar power plant

In January 2016, GHIAL commissioned a 5 MW solar power plant near RGIA, which will be used to serve the airport's energy needs. It was built over 24 acres (9.7 ha) at a cost of 30 crore (US$4.5 million).[71] Over the following two to three years, the capacity of the plant will be raised to 30 MW, allowing RGIA to become fully solar powered.[72]

Airport hotel

The Novotel Hyderabad Airport, located 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) from RGIA, was opened in October 2008. The hotel includes 305 rooms, two restaurants and a lounge for aircrew.[73] It was initially owned by GHIAL before being shifted to subsidiary GMR Hotels and Resorts Ltd. Owing to high losses from low occupancy,[74] GMR began seeking buyers of the hotel in August 2015.[75]

Connectivity

Taxi stand outside the terminal

Road

RGIA is connected to the city of Hyderabad by NH 7, NH 765 and the Outer Ring Road. In October 2009, the PV Narasimha Rao Expressway was completed between Mehdipatnam and Rajendranagar, where it joins NH 7. The longest flyover in India at 11.6 kilometres (7.2 mi), it has reduced travel time between the airport and the city to 30–40 minutes.[76]

The "Pushpak - Airport Liner" service of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation provides bus transportation to different parts of the city.[77] It was launched in December 2012 to replace GMR's Aero Express service.[78]

Rail

Under the second phase of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project, a 28-kilometre (17 mi) rail link between Raidurg/Gachibowli and RGIA will be constructed. As of late 2015, feasibility studies on the phase are underway.[79][80]

See also

References

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External links