The new international airport here is ready for commercial operations from March 2008, is not just another airport. It is going to be the nucleus of the country's first aerotropolis, a new urban form that would house business parks, hotels, residential units and entertainment areas. The aerotropolis would come up around the new generation airport. The GMR group, which also bagged the international airport project at Delhi with Fraport of Germany, would also develop the aerotropolis. These airport cities would be taken up on the lines of Incheon (South Korea), Dubai and Munich airports. An aerotropolis offers operational convenience for companies and organisations to maximise the benefits, while cutting down on expenditure significantly.Handholding the entire seamless transition would be Munich Airport International (MAI), a leading authority on operation & readiness and airport transfer (ORAT) for new airports.
GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL) has signed agreement with MAT for the period August 2006-May 2008 to facilitate the airport transfer process, according to An drew Harrison head-airport operations. GHIAL MAI has been the ORAT consultant for some of the most prestigious airport projects like the Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok, new Athens International airport and the KL International airport of Malaysia.
The major access points to the new airport are from National Highway NH-7(on its west) and Srisailam State Highway (on its east) besides the proposed Outer Ring Road(ORR). Also a first of its kind 11.6 kms long elevated expressway is planned to help passengers reach from the city centre to the expanded six lane NH-7 road,arriving at new airport within 30 minutes. Besides Multi-Modal Transportation System (MMTS),Mono Rail Transport System (MRTS) and other alternative modes of transport are being worked in collaboration with the State Government.
NEW AIRPORT TO PROPEL CITY AS HUB OF AIR CARGO
Hyderabad will be a major transport hub for air cargo with the new international airport at SHAMSHABAD which started operations in March 2008,aviation experts said the SHAMSHABAD airport will begin cargo operations simultaneously apart from handling passenger traffic. it is estimated that one (1) lakh metric tonnes of cargo can be handled initially at the new airport.It will be able to handle 10 lakh metric tonnes of cargo later.The new airport is expected to cater to the needs of industrialists and bussinessmen with world class infrastucture to handle cargo. The state govt has also hopes that the facilities for the cargo handling at the new airport will boost the economic and industrial activity in the state.
Anticipating a rapid growth in frieghter market,secunderabad based flyington frieghters decided to expand there activity with the purchase of new air crafts exclusively to handle cargo. Speaking on the emergence of Hyderabad as an aviation hub, T.Sri Nagesh Chief Operating Officer , GHIAL said , " Hyderabad is in the geographic centre of India and is witin a two hour flying time to all the major cities in India and it takes four hours to all major cities in Middle East and South East asia. We not only have the potential to become one of the major hubs in India but also a major hub for traffic between East and west."
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