Right from automated check-in, flight information kiosks and entertainment lounges, the airport promoters assure passengers experience would be something you have not been exposed to in India. Frequent travellers certainly would have had a glimpse of some of these at work at Frankfurt, Changi and Hong Kong airports.

The Head Project Management, GMR International Airport Ltd, Mr.P.Sripathy, told Business Line that a consortium of companies headed by Siemens and its strategic partners are in the process of developing what he described as first such airport to have a fully-integrated airport management system.

The entire IT infrastructure and the processes being developed at the airport are aimed at passenger convenience, speed at which ser vices are provided with minimal human interface and enhanced entertainment services.

An optical fibre network backbone would pave the way for Airport Community Net work, which will have a wire less fidelity capability. The consortium is in parleys for developing a RFID (radio frequency identification)-based facility that would probably get tagged to the passenger when he checks, thereby helping track his movements.

From initial estimates of about seven million passengers, the airport has scaled up the project to handle about 12 million passengers by 2012. This is based on the growth witnessed at the old airport. This means, upgrading the facilities from day one.

The cost of the project has been scaled up from Rs 1,760 crore to Rs 2,283 crore to host 42 parking bays instead of 30 planned initially and have longer -facility for taxi. The airport features rapid exit taxi facility.