| DURING THE first concrete-pour event at Hyderabad's green- field Shamshabad airport which is scheduled to be completed by March 2008, Civil Aviation Secretary Ajay Prasad said: "Hyderabad is one of India's fastest growing cities. It requires increased connectivity."
The airport will have the capacity to handle seven million passengers per annum. "The civil aviation industry will be a major contributor to the country's GDP It has to grow at 50-60% per annum if we have we want to grow at 7-8°/o annually." Mr Prasad said. Once t he work is complete, the government is planning to shut the existing airport at Begumpet for scheduled commercial operations. Mr Prasad said 'the existing airport at Begumpet will not service scheduled flights after the completion of the new airport. The Air Force and civilians will use it or training purposes only. Some VIP flights may use the terminal there."
The ministry is also open to upgradation of other airports in Andhra Pradesh.
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