HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Sept 7: Guwahati International Airport Limited (GIAL), a subsidiary of Adani Airport Holdings Limited, on Saturday has scheduled major upgrade and development of the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport at Guwahati.
As per the official statement, the master planning earmarked an infusion towards the development of infrastructure and facilities worth Rs 6,100 cr.
GIAL has started Cargo Operations from interim facilities and has planned for the construction of an Integrated Cargo Complex with an annual capacity of 43,260 MT.
The statement further stated that initiatives like DigiYatra, Passenger Wi-fi and other IOT-based projects are planned in order to create a best-in class experience for passengers.
Air Traffic Movements (ATM) at LGBIA are expected to increase to approximately 82,000 per annum in FY27 from around 48,000 per annum in FY20. This growth requires substantial revamping of airside infrastructure.
On the Airside, GIAL has proposed an extension of the runway, construction of a part parallel taxiway and link taxiways, construction of the second part parallel taxiway, construction of a rapid exit taxiway, development of Apron 2, construction of an isolation bay, apart from other initiatives.
Cargo operations at airports provide an impetus for economic growth. Along with passenger growth, as the ‘Gateway to the Northeast,’ LGBIA has witnessed a growth in the movement of cargo from Guwahati and nearby areas.
Moreover, GIAL is focused on green initiatives for sustainable growth. This includes moving towards the use of Electric Vehicles, limiting the use of high Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants, and promoting other social awareness programmes.
The construction of a New Integrated Terminal Building (NITB), conceptualised by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), was initiated in 2018. Construction of the NITB is underway and is slated for completion in FY25.
Currently, LGBIA has only one passenger terminal (T1) which caters to both domestic and international traffic. T1 was constructed in 1998, over an area of approximately 20,000 sqm, with the capacity to process approximately 2 million passengers per annum (MPPA).
However, with the growth and development seen in the Northeast region of India, the Airport managed about 5.96 million passengers in FY24 – i.e. over 300% of its capacity. The passenger traffic projection at LGBIA stands at 9 MPPA by 2027.
The operation of the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport was handed over by AAI to Guwahati International Airport Limited (GIAL) in Oct 2021 for a tenure of 50 years. As a part of this transition, the existing assets and on-going capital work was also transferred to GIAL.
As per the Concession Agreement signed with AAI, GIAL is mandated to adhere to best-in class standards, safety and security of passengers and convenience of user communities.
Accordingly, GIAL has carried out a master planning exercise, based on which they identified certain capital work that is necessary for safety, security, passenger convenience and optimal utilisation of airport amenities.
Additionally, GIAL submitted the necessary Multi-Year Tariff Revision Proposal to the Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA), which regulates aeronautical charges and has a well-defined process for determining tariff.
