| WHEN the city's international airport is ready in 2008, it will have an imposing skylight-trapping contraption over the roof that will appear very Indian — like a champa tree leaf, usually found at temples.
The airport, for which a concession agreement was signed on Monday, will have the best of world-class architecture while keeping up the Indian context, says Mr Kiran Kumar Grandhi, Managing Director of Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. The proposed airport village at the terminal will instil an Indian sense of place as it will comprise ethnic architecture, interiors and traditional shopping, he added.
The Rs 1,418-crore project is being promoted by the GMR Group (63 per cent), Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (11 per cent), the Government of Andhra Pradesh (13 per cent) and the Government of India (13 per cent).
Though the concession agreement calls for financial closure within 12 months, the company hopes to achieve it in six months.
HIAL is in talks with ICICI, IDFC and IDBI and other banks to fund the project. The financing plan will be finalised in the first quarter of 2005.
With no scope for expansion at the existing airport at Begumpet, HIAL hopes that the 11.91 per cent growth in passenger traffic and 37 per cent growth in freight transport are promising. In 2004, 2.21 million passengers travelled using the Begumpet airport, while the freight load through the airport was put at 29,422 tonnes.
On the features of the airport that would allow larger aircraft to land, Mr Grandhi said it would have a low-cost terminal at a later stage. He assured that it would conform to high environmental standards.Mr Grandhi said the project would have cascading effect on the State's economy. It means more jobs too. While the construction activity would absorb 1,000 people, about 1,600 would be employed when the airport is ready; five-ten times more were expected to get indirect employment. About 500 families that cleared the way for the 5,000-acre airport have been rehabilitated.
Just four hours away from major global international destinations, the airport has the potential to become an international hub, he said.
With a view to improving connectivity, the company has initiated talks with the Railways and the government to extend the MMTS (Multi-Modal Transport System) up to the airport. The Golden Quadrilateral too would be at an arm's length.
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