HYDERABAD: With Rajiv Gandhi International Airport all set to reach its designated capacity of 12 million passengers per annum by March this year, the GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) is gearing up to expand the passenger capacity of the airport.
The expansion work will begin by next year and over the next five years, Hyderabad airport passenger terminal capacity would be increased to 20 million per year in a phased manner.
SGK Kishore, chief executive officer, GMR Hyderabad International Airport, said “As we have almost reached the 12 million mark, we have to go for expansion of the airport this year. In the next five years, we will be expanding it in phases. After the expansion, the airport will have a bigger terminal facility, more security lanes, more check-in counters and rooftop solar panels. As the growth of airports is steady, we are expecting to reach 20 million passengers in the next 5 years and want to be prepared for the same,’’ he said.
Plans are underway and a final decision on the capacity expansion and quantum of investments will be finalised this year,” Kishore added.
The airport traffic is growing at 20 pc per annum this financial year compared with 24 pc last year and the cargo has recorded 11 pc growth.
“Last year we reached 10.5 million mark and this year we will be reaching the12 million mark. Coming to the cargo, we are one of the fastest growing airports. To strengthen it further, we want to build on our pharma capability and will be concentrating more on perishables, food products, express cargo to increase the cargo growth rate.
Further, we want to improve the catchment. Right now, the catchment contributes to 15 pc of cargo and we are getting cargo from places like Nagpur, Goa, Pune, Raipur, Vizag, and Chennai. We want to double this in the next two years,” Kishore said.
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