The Hindu Business Line : New-look airport in the making in Delhi

A new low-cost terminal, airport staff trained by the Taj group of hotels in house-keeping duties, a more efficient air traffic control system that cuts down on flight delays and a world-class experience with huge amount of duty-free shopping area would soon await passengers using the Delhi airport.

This and more could become a possibility with the GMR-led consortium mandated to modernise Delhi having hired a host of international consultants to assist in the project implementation. The promoters are said to be keen that the proposed airport be noted among the "best of the class" airport in the region.

Consultancy services

While an HR firm, Growtalent, will soon start talking individually and collectively to all the 2,400 employees of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to chalk out their career progression plan, plans are also afoot to send certain sections of AAI staff to some key airports globally to sensitise them to working of their counterparts.

Besides, the UK-based Mott MacDonald has been hired as the lead technical advisor to the project and three companies including National Air Traffic Services of UK, Airservices Australia and German ATC are in the race for providing consultancy services to improve the efficiency of air traffic controller.

Other facilities

Also on the anvil are not only a combined international and domestic terminal but also a parallel runway. Both the facilities are likely to be ready well before Delhi hosts the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

Work is also expected to start soon on refurbishing Terminal IB, which is currently used as the domestic departure terminal for most private airlines.

While a clearer picture on the physical contours of the new airport would emerge after the plans are frozen with the Government in the next six months, the promoters have made a start by improving areas where passengers come into direct contact with the facilities at the airport.

More Stories on : Infrastructure | Airlines | Other States

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Pvt players pitch for AI insurance contract

Is China's supply chain sustainable?

New-look airport in the making in Delhi

Kochi port orders storage tank builder to stop activity

Port, dock workers meet to be held in Mangalore

Indiapost plans `anytime banking'

Kutch Railway bid to improve connectivity