Rajiv Gandhi International Airport
| Rajiv Gandhi International Airport | |||||||||||||||
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| IATA: HYD – ICAO: VOHS | |||||||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | Airports Authority of India | ||||||||||||||
| Operator |
GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. (GHIAL)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Hyderabad | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Shamshabad, Hyderabad,Telangana, India | ||||||||||||||
| Hub for |
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| Elevation AMSL | 2,024 ft / 617 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 17°14′24″N 078°25′41″E / 17.24000°N 78.42806°ECoordinates: 17°14′24″N 078°25′41″E / 17.24000°N 78.42806°E | ||||||||||||||
| Website | www.hyderabad.aero | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
  HYD Location within India | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2014) | |||||||||||||||
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Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (IATA: HYD, ICAO: VOHS), also known as Hyderabad International Airport, or simply RGIA, is an international airport serving the metropolis of Hyderabad located at Shamshabad, about 22 km (14 mi) south of Hyderabad.
It was named after Rajiv Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, by the former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy. It replaced the former international airport at Begumpet and commercial flight operations began on 23 March 2008. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is India's second public-private partnership airport venture after Cochin International Airport. Its domestic terminal is named after former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. T. Ramo Rao. In 2010–2011 it was the sixth-busiest airport in India by international and overall passenger traffic.[6]
Rajiv Gandhi was the highest-ranked Indian airport by Skytrax in 2013.[7] It serves as a hub for spicejet, Lufthansa Cargo and Blue Dart Aviation and as a focus city for Air India, Jet Airways, and JetLite.
Development
Design and construction began in September 2005, and the airport was opened in March 2008.[8] The project is a public-private joint venture between GMR Group, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad and the government of Telangana and Airports Authority of India (AAI). GMR Group holds 63% of the equity, MAHB 11%, while the government of Telangana and Airports Authority of India each hold 13%.[1]
It is being developed in three phases, and when completed will provide infrastructure for 40 million passengers annually.[9] After the first phase of development, it will accommodate 10 million passengers a year.[9] The cost of the project is INR 24.7 billion (US$560 million).[10] The airport is being built on an area of 5,500 acres (2,200 ha) making it the largest airport in India in terms of area. It was designed by the UK engineering design firm Arup, which designed Dubai Terminal 3 and Beijing Terminal 3.[11]
First phase
In the first phase of development, the 105,300 m2 (1,133,000 sq ft) Terminal 1, with the capacity to handle 14 million passengers per annum has been constructed. Terminal 1 has 18 contact and 36 remote stands for aircraft parking. Other buildings, including the air traffic control tower, technical building, cargo hangars (100,000 tonnes capacity), maintenance hangars, utilities under a combined area of 49,500 m2 (533,000 sq ft) have been developed. An 1800-car parking lot in front of Terminal 1 is operational for the convenience of passengers and visitors. A hotel has been constructed in this phase.
Air traffic control tower
The ATC tower is 75 m (246 ft) tall and has a column-free perimeter to give uninterrupted views of the airfield.[12]
Second phase
In the second phase of the airport development, Terminal 1 will be expanded to an area of 260,000 m2 (2,800,000 sq ft) to cater to the growing demand. Post expansion, the terminal building will have 30 stands for aircraft parking. The low-cost terminal will be expanded to its full capacity of 18 million passengers per year.
An increase in established facilities such as hotels, offices, cargo and maintenance facilities will be undertaken. The total developed area at the end of this phase will be approximately 480,000 m2 (5,200,000 sq ft).
Final phase
The airport will reach its full maturity after the third phase. An additional floor area of 420,000 m2 (4,500,000 sq ft) will be developed bringing the total built-up area to 900,000 m2 (9,700,000 sq ft).
The ultimate master plan provides for a capacity of 40 million passengers yearly[11] with the accompanying air and ground facilities. Further acquisition of land to the north and south will allow expansion of a third and fourth runway on demand.
Cargo terminal
The state-of-the-art cargo terminal has implemented a concept of an integrated cargo facility housing domestic and international facilities under one roof. The Air Cargo Complex has a built-in area of 14,330 m2 (154,200 sq ft). The complex is a modular building with a capacity to handle cargo throughput of 100,000 MT annually. It has dedicated cargo apron facilities for handling regular and freighter operations.[13]
Airlines and destinations
Passenger airlines
Cargo
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Blue Dart Aviation | Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai |
| Cathay Pacific Cargo | Bangalore, Delhi, Hong Kong[14] |
| Lufthansa Cargo | Frankfurt, Mumbai, Sharjah |
| Singapore Airlines Cargo | Singapore |
| Qatar Airways Cargo | Doha[15] |
| Thai Cargo | Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Frankfurt |
| Turkish Airlines Cargo | Istanbul-Atatürk, Tehran-Imam Khomeini |
Connectivity
Apart from normal taxi and cab services, Pushpak Airport liner run by TSRTC connects Rajiv Gandhi International airport with major parts of the city. TSRTC also provides non-air-conditioned bus services at much lower fares.[16]
The 11.6 km PV Narasimha Rao Expressway from Mehdipatnam to Rajendranagar provides dedicated high-speed travel to the airport and is the second longest flyover in India.[17] The Nehru Outer Ring Road serves as an controlled-access highway from Gachibowli to Shamshabad.[18]
The airport is 40 km (25 mi) from Secunderabad Junction.[19] Metro rail extension from Falaknuma to Shamshabad and a dedicated train corridor from Secunderabad to airport are under planning.
Hospitality
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) plans to develop a hotel corridor called Regal Broadway to cater to an estimated five million visitors to the city travelling through the international airport in 2008. The Regal Broadway Project is at a nascent stage; plans are under development. According to initial plans, the project was to be located 150-acre (0.61 km2) in Shamshabad, but reports suggest the entire project may be relocated since environment and development guidelines in the area do not permit commercial complexes.
The Novotel Hyderabad Airport Hotel was opened in October 2008[20] with 305 rooms and suites, featuring WiFi, executive amenities, restaurants, two bars, pool and meeting rooms. The hotel also has a spa and fitness centres.
Fixed base operators
Ground handling services
GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. (GHIAL) has awarded ground handling concessions to two ground handlers – Al-SATs Consortium and Menzies-Bobba.[21]
Flight catering
LSG Sky Chefs and Sky Gourmet have been awarded concessions to construct, operate, maintain, manage and develop the in-flight catering facilities. They have been allocated area measuring 2.5 acres (1.0 ha) each to operate and maintain the necessary facilities at the airport.[22]
Aircraft fuelling
GHIAL has constructed and commissioned an aviation fuel farm and hydrant fuelling system with state-of-the-art facilities including modern automated systems in the airport area. The airport is the first in the country to introduce the 'open access' system allowing the air carriers to choose suppliers of their choice.[23]
Vehicle fuelling
The vehicle fuelling facilities at the airside are operated by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL). The facility provides fuel to all the ground handling vehicles at the airside. BPCL has planned to start a vehicle fuelling station on the landside with a 24-hour convenience store.[23]
Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities
GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) has leased Air India space for an MRO facility at the airport. The existing operations at the defunct Begumpet airport are expected to be transferred to the new MRO facility. GHIAL will invest and build connecting taxiway, apron and engine run-up bay as common facilities for the Indian Airlines' MRO. The facility in Begumpet airport handles the initial maintenance checks (including C-Checks on IA's Airbus-320 aircraft). The IA will render similar service to its aircraft as well as those belonging to Air India at the new facility.
MAS-GMR Aerospace Engineering Company Ltd., located in the 250 acre GMR Aerospace Park SEZ, offers base maintenance services starting with C-checks for narrow bodied aircraft like Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 including the B-737 Classic and B-737 next generation aircraft saving precious foreign exchange and aircraft downtime for most airline companies.
Sabena Flight Academy
GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd signed an MoU with Sabena Flight Academy to establish an Aviation Academy at the new airport.
Over €80 million will be invested over the next three years covering infrastructure including accommodation for more than 200 trainees per year, six full flight simulators, cabin trainers and engineering tooling.[24]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Results | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Center for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) Award | Best Airport Environmental Performance of the Year | Won | [25] |
| 2010 | Airport Service Quality Awards by Airports Council International | Best Airport by Size (5–15 million passenger) | 1st | [26] |
| 2011 | Airport Service Quality Awards by Airports Council International | Best Airport by Size (5–15 million passenger) | 3rd | [27] |
| 2012 | World Airport Awards by Skytrax | Best Airport (India) | 3rd | [28] |
| 2013 | World Airport Awards by Skytrax | Best Airport (India) | 1st | [28] |
| Best Airport (Asia) | 5th | |||
| Best Airport (Worldwide) | 65th | |||
| Best Airport (by passengers, 5–10 million) | 7th |
Incidents and accidents
- On the airport's opening morning, a SpiceJet Airlines flight landed 50 minutes ahead of schedule, making it the first flight to land at the new airport. This took many of the officials aback, most of whom were waiting for the scheduled "first flight" from Lufthansa, which was set to be the first flight to land. SpiceJet flight SG 397 from Ahmedabad to Hyderabad was scheduled to land at 12.50 am, but it touched down at 12.01 am because "the pilot decided to take off early". Airport officials were puzzled by SpiceJet's explanation because the management had agreed to fly in late. The American expatriate captain of SG 397 affirms that he departed from Ahmedabad at the exact time dictated by dispatch and has the flight schedule to prove it. Scheduled arrival was 12:20 am. Actual arrival was 12:15 am, only 5 minutes early. Again, these times were set by dispatch the previous day. Lufthansa arrived from Frankfurt at 12:19 am, six minutes ahead of its scheduled time, which got the official welcome as was planned, though it was the third, as another SpiceJet plane had landed 5 minutes after flight 397.[29]
- Also on the airport's opening morning, KLM Flight 873 inbound from Amsterdam was supposed to land at HIA, but reports indicated that KLM was unaware of the airport change. The pilots, confused, diverted to New Delhi. After they were denied landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport, they diverted to Mumbai, where they made a successful landing.[30] KLM denies this, saying that instead, the diversion was due to the weather being below minimum limits for landing. An observant reader of an article about the diversion contacted Hyderabad ATC and then realised that it was the weather.[31]
- The airport validated its capability to land Airbus A380 aircraft when, on 16 June 2011, a Dubai-bound Emirates Airlines flight, EK-413 Airbus A-380 was diverted to Hyderabad as an Australian citizen required emergency medical assistance. The aircraft landed at around 4.20 am and left at 6.30 am after the passenger was shifted.[32] On 23 October 2011, a Dubai-bound Emirates Airlines flight from Bangkok was forced into landing under emergency conditions following technical problems. All 410 passengers on board the aircraft were disembarked safely.[33]
Gallery
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Outdoors
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Outdoors fountain
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Building from car park
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Part of check in area
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Departures waiting area
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Remote aircraft parking stands
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Radio Taxi stand
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 about GHIAL
- ↑ "Lufthansa Cargo eröffnet Pharma-Drehkreuz Hyderabad". Airliners.de. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ↑ http://www.hyderabad.aero/fact-sheet.aspx
- ↑ "TRAFFIC STATISTICS - DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL PASSENGERS" (JSP). Aai.aero. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
- ↑ "TRAFFIC STATISTICS - DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL PASSENGERS". Aai.aero. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
- ↑ "AAI traffic figures 2009–2011" (PDF). Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ↑ http://www.worldairportawards.com/Awards_2013/top100.htm
- ↑ "Rajiv Gandhi International Airport | Arup | A global firm of consulting engineers, designers, planners and project managers". Arup. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Airport capacity
- ↑ The Hindu Business Line : New airports off to a flying start
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Rajiv Gandhi International Airport | Arup | A global firm of consulting engineers, designers, planners and project managers". Arup. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ↑ "Rajiv Gandhi International Airport | Arup | A global firm of consulting engineers, designers, planners and project managers". Arup. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
- ↑
- ↑ Our Bureau. "Business Line : Industry & Economy / Logistics : Cathay Pacific to launch new freighter services". Thehindubusinessline.com. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ↑ http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/qatar-airways-cargo-plans-freight-services-to-hyderabad-stansted/article5746728.ece
- ↑
- ↑ "Expressway off-limits to the aam aadmi?". The New Indian Express. 19 October 2009. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
- ↑ "Another ORR stretch to be ready soon". Times of india. 11 December 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
- ↑ "Rajiv Gandhi International Airport – Hyderabad". Hyderabad.aero. 9 May 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ↑ "Hotel Novotel Hyderabad Airport – Travel, stay or vacation, holiday at HYDERABAD". Novotel.com. 9 May 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑ 23.0 23.1
- ↑ "Sabena Flight Academy: Private Company Information – BusinessWeek". Investing.businessweek.com. 8 June 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ↑ "GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited bags CAPA Award for 'Airport Environmental Performance of the Year'". Retrieved 18 February 2010.
- ↑ http://www.aci.aero/Airport-Service-Quality/ASQ-Awards/Past-Winners/2009 Retrieved 18 April 2013
- ↑ "ASQ Award for Best Airport by Size (5-15m)" Airports Council International. 14 February 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2012
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 http://www.worldairportawards.com/Awards_2013/top100.htm Retrieved 18 April 2013
- ↑ 24 Mar 2008 at 0020 hrs IST (24 March 2008). "New Hyd airport takes off with SpiceJet". The Financial Express. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ↑ Original Report Claiming KLM Did Not Know About New Airport
- ↑ "Revised Report Which Shows The Official Story". Avweb.com. 30 March 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ↑ "A-380 makes emergency landing at RGIA". The Times of India. 17 June 2011.
- ↑ "Emirates Airbus A380 makes emergency landing at Hyderabad airport". gulfnews. 23 October 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. |
- Official Site
- Airport information for VOHY at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
- Accident history for HYD at Aviation Safety Network
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