Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Thursday, Aug 03, 2006
Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Thursday, Aug 03, 2006 |
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Infrastructure Logistics - Interview `Delhi airport will meet international standards' Ashwini Phadnis
Looking ahead We would like to build an airport that every Indian should feel proud of. It should give a brand to the country. We have already started the process of integrating AAI workers with our team.
AIRPORT UPDATE: Mr G. M. Rao, CMD, GMR Infrastructure Ltd, at Delhi IGI airport on Wednesday. GMR is taking up the modernisation job. — Kamal Narang
New Delhi , Aug 2 The Chairman of Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), Mr G.M. Rao, has a big task on his hand to develop the Delhi airport to international standards before the Commonwealth Games in 2010. The management of the Delhi airport passed into the hands of the joint venture company from midnight Wednesday. Minutes after stepping off a private jet from Mumbai to Delhi, Mr Rao outlined his plans to Business Line. What are the challenges ahead? The challenge is to meet the current traffic, which is already so high. Another challenge is building a world-class airport before the Commonwealth Games scheduled for 2010. Besides, we would like to build an airport that every Indian should feel proud of. It should give a brand to the country. We would also have to ensure that the service standards are kept at the stipulated level. All these are big challenges. Within a month, after discussing with our partners and stakeholders, we will come out with a plan of action. What changes have been made in the past 90 days, when you jointly ran the airport with Airports Authority of India (AAI)? Only cosmetic and temporary changes have been made. The operation, maintenance and development agreement had listed early success targets that saw us working on improving the toilets, seating and the trolleys available for passengers, among other areas. There were 12-18 items that we have had to look into before the 90 days expired. What has been the response of the AAI workers? The workers have been very supportive and co-operative. We have already started the process of integrating them with our team. We have identified people and sent the first batch abroad for training. Some senior staff, above the rank of General Manager, will go back to AAI. However, we have requested that three or four senior-level people be allowed to stay back for another few months. Some questions have been raised over the appointment of a foreigner as a COO for the airport. Has the issue been resolved? One of the qualification criteria in the request for proposal was that one of the world's best airports needs to be the operator. Our entire qualification depended on the operators. We chose Fraport, which is an operator of six airports and handles 80 million passengers. When we entered into the airport operators' agreement, it was said that foreigners would be appointed. It was under this agreement that Fraport deputed seven people, including the COO, from Athens airport. We need their experience. We can build (an airport) but it will take time. It is not as if AAI cannot (build an airport). We have an excellent team there.
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