Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Sunday, May 28, 2006 |
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Industry & Economy
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Infrastructure Logistics - Airlines Bangalore International Airport on talent hunt Madhumathi D.S.
Flying high BIAL plans to have a team of 80 personnel by year-end, up from the current 35. When the Rs 1411-crore Devanahalli airport opens as planned in April 2008, it will be handling 7 million passengers and peak hour traffic of 27 aircraft.
Bangalore , May 27 Building an airport team from scratch, it seems, can be almost as challenging as building a brand-new airport. As Bangalore International Airport Ltd goes scouting for people with an assortment of skills and experience to run the greenfield airport, talent seems to be a small air pocket. BIAL plans to have a team of 80 personnel by this year-end, up from the current 35. The going has been a little tardy, admits the BIAL CEO, Mr Albert Brunner. Air transport in India is expanding at a pace that is one of the fastest in the world and there is a scarcity of experienced personnel in this field, he told Business Line. "The challenge is not to find well-educated people, but well-educated people with loyalty, strong dedication and - most important - with experience in airport operation and airport marketing." In the absence of a private airport, mature aviation industry or training colleges, "Where do you find them? We are the only one right now. Where are the benchmarks" for compensation in an industry monopolised by the Government until now, he asked. When the Rs 1,411-crore Devanahalli airport opens as planned in April 2008, it will be handling 7 million passengers and peak hour traffic of 27 aircraft. It will need 300 personnel by then. BIAL's aim is to immediately hire about a dozen senior and middle-level managers to run the daily operations, to market the airport to airlines and various commercial users so that the retail, entertainment, hospitality and commercial units are in place in two years.
To face competition
BIAL is head hunting from within and outside the country through its Web site, job portals, internal references and consultants. It would have to reckon with competition from the new Hyderabad airport, which is keeping similar paces, and the revamping of the Delhi and Mumbai airports. The obvious domestic sources for such talent are the Airports Authority, the airlines and even the air force. "Given the industry we are in, there will be a high demand for experienced and qualified manpower," he said. "The need for companies will now be to focus on training that will also lead to retention of manpower."
for the long haul
BIAL's focus till now was on building the leadership team and then move to other levels. "This is a specialised field and we have been successful with the initial phase of the recruitment." The company says it is hiring for the long haul - for up to 60 years of age - with a competitive and flexible pay structure and perks. However, the main charm, according to Mr Brunner, would be in working with the country's first greenfield airport.
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