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K.V. Kurmanath

Hyderabad, Dec. 17 What’s common to Ms Ivonne Kuger of Germany, Mr Geoffrey Todd of Australia, Mr Claude Palmero (Belgium) and Mr Rod Parry (the UK)?

Experts in their respective fields, they, and many others like them from India and abroad, are busy working for a common task — building of a world-class airport at Shamshabad near here, and making it ready for commercial operations on March 16, 2008.

What does it take to build an airport of global reckoning? It’s not about aping successful models that worked elsewhere. It’s people, from all parts of the world, who actually matter.

That’s why Ms Kuger, Mr Todd, Mr Palmero and Mr Parry are in Hyderabad, giving shape to the Rs 2,478-crore greenfield Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.

Mr Parry, Associate Vice-President (Aeronautical), is a global citizen. Born in Bermuda, brought up in the UK and a migrant to Australia, he has years of experience in the aviation business, handling many key jobs in airlines, airports and aviation-related companies such as those in ground handling and cargo terminals.

Mr Parry, who worked for Cathay Pacific Airways, Airport Authority of Hong Kong, and Qatar Airways group, heads the teams that manage aeronautical-related activity at the Hyderabad airport.

Ms Kuger is a member of Munich Airport International’s ORAT (Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer) team that has the mandate of supporting the operational readiness and the shift of operations from the Begumpet airport to the new airport.

A Deputy Project Manager of ORAT programme and coordinator of the airport transfer, Ms Kuger would bring in her rich experience in this aspect.

Quite excited to be part of the first greenfield project in India, Ms Kuger has got something as a ‘take-away’. “Life and work in India have changed my view on many things, have broadened the horizon,” she feels.

Mr Todd, who hails from Sydney, is a veteran in aspects like operations, safety and environmental management in mining, steelmaking and aviation industries.

Associate Vice-President in the Operations Group at GHIAL, Mr Todd is responsible for oversight of aviation safety, the health and safety of the operations staff, and for environmental compliance.

Mr Palmero, who has put in over 15 years of work in airlines and airport business, managed operations of Sabena — the former national airline of Belgium — in Belgium and Brussels Airport. He was also a consultant in the ORAT project in Bangkok for the opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport there.

Having joined GHIAL as Deputy to Chief Operating Officer, his mandate is to help the company get ready for the airport opening. Besides, he would help fill gaps and find solutions for the last minute glitches, if any, as systems and facilities get seamlessly integrated when the airport begins to work.

It’s not just individuals. Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad, which owns KLIA, one of the finest airports in the world, is an equity partner in the project.

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