GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) is in parleys with European and other international carriers to woo them to connect to the ‘ Pearl City’.

The airport, which sees about 20 international carriers operating to about 20 destinations along with four domestic carriers that connect to overseas locations, is keen to attract some more international airlines.

SGK Kishore, Chief Executive Officer, GHIAL, said: “Currently only one European carrier, British Airways, operates direct flights to Hyderabad. Lufthansa and KLM are among two other European airliners who used to operate.

“We are in talks with them to connect to Hyderabad so that they can be part of the growing market.” Indian civil aviation is amongst the fastest growing markets and the third largest in the world and offers immense scope for connectivity, he said, adding: “As we take to expansion of our airport to handle 25 million passengers per annum (mppa), more airliners are expected to connect to Hyderabad.”

The Hyderabad airport handled 15.24 mppa in 2016-2017 and is expected to cross 18 mppa this fiscal. The domestic passenger segment has been growing at over 20 per cent.

The airport handles about 400 movements per day.

New terminal “We have commenced expansion works on the airport and the new terminal works would be taken up from February-March 2018. The expansion will be completed over two-and-a-half years. The airport will then be expanded to handle 25 mppa and thereafter another expansion plan would take it up to 35 mppa,” said Kishore.

“The ₹2,500-crore expansion, which is yet to get regulatory approval, will be funded in a debt-equity ratio of 70:30. We had already raised $350 million through a bond offer,” he said.

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