Why: Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, (GHIAL)’s High Tech Failings

Problem Summary starts here –

Parking – Road signs misleading, problems paying and exiting
Check in – Bungling from start day
Baggage – The crux of the problem. Understaffed, untrained, lethargical Airport operator GMR’s attitude or belt system jam, planes and passengers grappling for the ground handling procedures, right from connecting the aircraft to ground power unit, enabling the crew to switch off the engines, to clearing the baggage, there are delays”, a senior functionary of an airline observed., and suddenly there were thousands of misplaced bags! Famous stories around it,– Wait will write further.

Distance

Distance is still the millstone in the neck for all passengers and alike till now with the Indian Government capitulating the Airport Operator for opening of airport earlier without thing about the connectivity to the new International airport. Taxi operators are making hay out of this one. Meanwhile shuttle buses adapted by Airport operator does not stop for passengers to get into these buses forcing already harried passengers to board these buses from only starting points within twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. What a retarded thought? Also on the government part of making connectivity faster is never in its mind. It is taking its own time, pushing deadline after deadline set by it.

Stipulation

“The airport functioning has not yet stabilized. The ground handling procedures, right from connecting the aircraft to ground power unit, enabling the crew to switch off the engines, to clearing the baggage, there are delays”, a senior functionary of an airline observed. The problem has worsened after the GMR imposed a stipulation that no piece of equipment, which is more than two years old should be used for ground handling. This stipulation, sources say, came after the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) removed the rule that all airlines should compulsorily use the services of two companies (AI,IA & SATs and Menzies & Bobba Aviation) that were into ground handling jobs.

This issue which was seriously objected to by the private airlines led to postponement of operationalization of the new airport for a week. Now with the MoCA allowing the airlines to have their own ground handling, things have taken a different turn.
Following this, the rule against old equipment being enforced, several airlines are finding it difficult to get the new equipment, which is mostly imported.
Such equipment includes tractors, push pack trolleys, containers, container trolleys and baggage trolleys.
Even though some of the private airlines have new equipments to fulfill the stipulation, such equipment is kept some two km. away from the tarmac. And every time a flight lands, the equipment of that particular airline has to be rushed to the tarmac and this is leading to delays, explained another official.
In addition to this, the improperly trained staff was another cause for the delays. “There is avoidable delay in connecting the aircraft to ground power network. There is delay in moving the step ladder. So passengers are forced to wait”, reasoned out the official.
If these are the issues concerning the ground handling, several passengers have been complaining about the facilities. “No glasses are provided at the water fountains. Eatables are prohibitively expensive in the security hold area. Baggage is coming late.
There is no seating facility at the check in where there are delays.
The aero express does not stop on the way forcing passengers to travel up to its end point”, a frequent flyer listed out the inconveniences.

Icing on the cake – Nothing for air passengers and Government allowing GMR to mint excess money from DAY ONE

Did I miss something?

Terminal Details

Hyderabad’s International Airport, is a new airport near Shamshabad about 22 km from the city of Hyderabad, in India. The airport will replace the current airport, Begumpet Airport. Scheduled to open on 14 March 2008, it is the second public-private partnership in the Indian airport infrastructure sector, the first being the Cochin International Airport.
The new Hyderabad airport is being built by Hyderabad International Airport Limited (HIAL), a public-private joint venture between GMR Group, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad and both the State Government of Andhra Pradesh and Airports Authority of India (AAI). GMR Group holds 63% of the equity, MAHB 11%, while the Government of Andhra Pradesh and Airports Authority of India each hold 13%.
The airport, once completed, will be able to provide much-needed infrastructure to handle large aircraft and international traffic. The airport is expected to be the best in the country and will house world-class facilities. The airport is being developed to cater to a total of 12 million a year and will in the final stage be able to cater to 40 million passengers a year. The total cost of the project is Rs 2,300 crore (US$560 million). The airport will be built on an area of 5,400 acres (22 km²).
A Kingfisher Airlines Airbus A320 with 86 journalists, company officials and crew members became the first plane to land at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at 15:10 on Tuesday, February 12th 2008 as a part of calibration tests. The A320 was followed by a Jet Airways plane two hours later, arriving from Mumbai.
The airport will be inaugurated on March 14th. At the stroke of 12 at midnight on March 15th, the Begumpet airport fell silent and to the amusement of many, Air Traffic in Shamshabad are still being managed from Begumpet Airport itself. Flights landing at Hyderabad after midnight on March 15th,i.e., the 16th of March, will be informed about the new flight path by the new ATC. The first flight to fly out of India will be Lufthansa. The first International flight to land at the new airport will also be Lufthansa at 12.25 a.m. Munich Airport International, a specialized organization will help in the transfer of operations from the Begumpet airport to the new airport with precision. The Munich Airport International has also helped in transfer of operations of the airport at Athens, Bangkok and Seoul.

A partnership of expertise and experience

GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd., is a public-private joint venture between GMR Group, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad and both the State Government of Andhra Pradesh and Airports Authority of India (AAI). GMR Group holds 63% of the equity, MAHB 11%, while the Government of Andhra Pradesh and Airports Authority of India each hold 13%.

GMR Infrastructure Ltd.

GMR Infrastructure Ltd., part of GMR group is a listed infrastructure development company with diversified interests in fields such as energy, roads and airports. GMR group has its roots in the manufacturing business of Jute apart from Sugar and Ferro alloys.

Malaysia Airports

MAHB currently operates and manages 38 commercial airports in Malaysia, of which 5 are major international airports including the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Apart from being an investor, MAHB will provide technical services to The New Hyderabad International Airport.

Andhra Pradesh Government

Over the past few years, the state has recorded significant economic growth primarily contributed by growth in secondary and tertiary sectors. The Andhra Pradesh government has been response to the increased demands for air travel as a result of a large Information Technology trained workforce that comes from this region of India.

Airport Authority of India

AAI is the nodal agency for Indian airports and is responsible for developing, managing and operating all major airports in the country. AAI currently manages 132 airports, which include 12 international airports, 93 domestic airports and 27 civil enclaves at defence airfields. AAI will provide ATM (Air Traffic Management) services at the new airport.

Project Plan

Check in counters at the Hyderabad International Airport at Departures

Initial Phase

A 105,300 square meter terminal, having the capacity to handle 12 million passengers per annum is being constructed. The terminal building will have 12 contact and 30 remote stands for aircraft parking. Other buildings, including the ATC Tower ( Air Traffic Control Tower ), Technical Building, Cargo (100,000 tonnes capacity), MRO ( Maintenance and Repair Overhaul ), CFR Station ( Crash, Fire and Rescue Station ) and Utilities having a combined area of 35,000 sq.m will also be constructed. A hotel is also being planned for construction in this phase.

Second Phase

In Phase 2, Terminal 1 will be expanded to an area of 250,000 sq.m to cater to the growing demand. Post expansion, terminal building will have 54 stands for aircraft parking. The LCT will also be expanded to its full capacity of 1.5 million passengers per annum.
A second runway will be needed before the commencement of construction for Terminal 2. An increase in the number of established facilities such as hotels, offices, cargo and maintenance facilities will be undertaken. The total built up area at the end of this phase will be approx. 470,000 sq.m.

Final Phase

The airport will reach its full maturity in this Phase. An additional floor area of 430,000 sq.m will be constructed bringing the total built up area to 900,000 sq.m.
The ultimate master plan is to cater to 50 million passengers per annum to both airside and landside facilities within the Airport site. Further acquisition of land to the north and south will allow expansion of a third and fourth runway system.
Facilities in Initial Phase
Terminal Area 117,000 sq. m (including undercroft)
Peak Hour passenger Capacity 3,200
Boarding Bridges 12
Baggage Handling System In-Line X-Ray
Runway Length 4,260 m
Width 60 m
Shoulder 7.5 m

Naming Controversy

There was some controversy regarding the naming of the airport. Y.S. Rajashekhar Reddy,Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, a self-professed loyalist of the Gandhi Family, was adamant on Rajiv Gandhi’s name. Telugu Desam Party, the main opposition party, vehemently objected to this crass attempt of sycophancy. They proposed the airport to be named after P.V. Narasimha Rao, the only Prime minister, who hailed from the State of Andhra Pradesh. At present Chandrababu Naidu is proposing the name of late Nandamuri Taraka Ramarao who established TDP for his political gain.

Transportation

The government of Andhra Pradesh is building an 8-lane expressway named as the Outer Ring Road. This road will start from Gachibowli and will cover a distance of 22 km. Apart from this the government is also building a flyover from Mehdipatnam to the airport. The expressway flyover is named after the former prime minister of India PV Narsimha Rao. The P.V.Narsimha Rao Expressway will cover a distance of approximately 11 km. Plans to connect the airport with the city through railways or Metro rail are also being considered.

Lufthansa Technik MRO facility

Lufthansa Technik, the world’s leading provider for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of airplanes, components and engines, has decided to set up a new facility in India to support the growing aviation sector. The new facility will be located at Shamshabad, Andhra Pradesh, the site of the upcoming Shamshabad Hyderabad International Airport. As the first international MRO provider to set up an Indian base, Lufthansa Technik has chosen to team up with the GMR Group. Lufthansa Technik will be the majority stakeholder in the company holding more than 75% of its equity share capital.
The facility will provide base maintenance services (including C- and D-checks) for Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737 aircraft – including 737 Classic and 737 NG (Next Generation). The facility is expected to commence operations at the end of 2008 with two parallel lines to serve the maintenance requirements of the rapidly growing narrowbody fleet of Indian carriers.
Effective immediately, the company will commence training to develop highly qualified technicians and aircraft engineers. This will be achieved in cooperation with Lufthansa Technical Training through a specially designed training program, tailored to the requirements of the facility. A dialogue with technical institutes in the State of Andhra Pradesh has already been initiated.
Lufthansa Technik’s modular approach will ensure flexibility to expand its services to customers outside of India and to augment its product portfolio with additional services. As a member of Lufthansa Technik’s existing worldwide MRO network of 28 companies, the new venture will be the backbone for MRO services for short- and medium-haul aircraft in India.

Indian Airlines MRO facility

GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, (GHIAL) has signed a lease agreement with Indian Airlines (IA) for setting up Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) facility at the upcoming Shamshabad International Airport at Hyderabad.The existing operations at Begumpet Airport are expected to be transferred to the new MRO.
GHIAL will invest and build connecting taxiway, apron and engine run-up bay as common facilities for the Indian Airlines’ MRO.The facility in Begumpet airport handles the initial maintenance checks (including C-Checks on IA’s Airbus-320 aircraft). The IA will render similar service to its aircraft as well as those belonging to Air India at the new facility. Besides the MRO in Begumpet, the Indian Airlines has similar facilities in Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata airports also.

Sabena Flight Academy India

GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd signed an MoU with Sabena Flight Academy to establish a Flight Aviation Academy at the new airport scheduled for commissioning in March 2008. The new joint venture company will set up a modern aviation academy at the Shamshabad International Airport, Hyderabad by January 2009. The academy will offer complete training packages for aviation related activities covering pilot and cabin crew training, engine engineers, technicians and aviation consultants. Training for airport operations staff such as passengers and ramp services agents will also be provided.
Over EUR80 million will be invested over the next three years covering infrastructure including accommodation for more than 200 trainees per year, six full flight simulators, cabin trainers and engineering tooling.
The new company will offer the entire spectrum of training services in an aviation center located in Hyderabad catering to the Indian as well as the foreign market.
Sabena Flight Academy (SFA) is one of Europe’s oldest Pilot Training Academies. After providing Sabena Airlines with pilots for more than 60 years, SFA has become an independent training centre operating in 4 continents and training more than 300 cadre pilots every year.
Airlines and Destinations
These are the airlines which are expected after the inauguration of the airport.

Domestic Airlines

Air Deccan (Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Mumbai, Kolkata, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Nagpur, Pune, Goa, Jaipur, Jodhpur)
Air India (Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai)
Indian Airlines (Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Nagpur)
Go Air (Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi)
IndiGo (Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Cochin, Jaipur, Agartala, Kolkata, Goa)
Jet Airways (Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai)
Jetlite (Ahmedabad, Visakhapatnam, Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Nagpur, Pune, Coimbatore, Cochin)
Kingfisher Airlines (Ahmedabad, Agartala, Imphal, Guwahati, Kolkata, Indore, Delhi, Pune, Nagpur, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Bangalore, Jaipur, Mumbai, Chennai, Raipur)
Paramount Airways (Chennai, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Cochin, Visakhapatnam, Thrivananthapuram)
SpiceJet (Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Visakhapatnam)

International Airlines

Air India (Dammam, Riyadh, Jeddah, Singapore, Kuala Lampur, Frankfurt, London-Heathrow, Chicago-O’Hare, New York-JFK)
Indian Airlines (Sharjah, Muscat, Dubai, Singapore, Kuwait, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi)
Emirates Airlines (Dubai)
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Amsterdam)
Kuwait Airways (Kuwait)
Lufthansa (Frankfurt)
Malaysia Airlines (Kuala Lumpur)
Thai Airways International (Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi)
Oman Air (Muscat)
Qatar Airways (Doha)
Saudi Arabian Airlines (Riyadh, Jeddah)
Singapore Airlines (Singapore)
Srilankan Airlines (Colombo)
Jetlite (Kathmandu)
New Airlines and Routes
British Airways (London-Heathrow) [Starts on 27-10-08]
Gulf Air (Bahrain) [Starts on April 2008]
Cargo Airlines
British Airways World Cargo (London-Heathrow) [starts October 2008]
Blue Dart Aviation

Fixed Base Operators (FBO)

Flight Catering

LSG Sky Chefs (100 per cent subsidiary of Lufthansa, and the world’s largest provider of airline catering and in-flight solution)
Sky Gourmet(one of the leading airline catering companies in the country)

Ground Handlers

Menzies Aviation Plc & Bobba Group, Singapore Airport Terminal Services and Indian Airlines & Air India

Fuelers

Reliance Industries
The open access model would allow any ATF supplier to supply fuel to airlines according to their own agreements.

Below is a map, of how you’d get there. The color codes are routes that the Airport Shuttles take. For more information, get to the official page.

Click on the image to enlarge it.

To find out more about the bus routes, visit the official website. http://hyderabad.aero/services/connectivity_airport.html

Here are a bunch of maps, that will show you specific route to get to/from the airport as well: http://hyderabad.aero/services/route_maps.html

The only advice I can give at this point, is plan beforehand and keep ample time as buffer before your flight time. I took a few photos of the new Airport as well, will post them soon.

~ by krishna Raj on April 14, 2008.