GMR to expand Hyderabad airport passenger terminal next year

The international airport had crossed 10-mn passengers mark last year

Keeping in view the uptick in passenger numbers, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) is planning to expand its passenger terminal by next year, according to its chief executive officer SGK Kishore.

The international airport had crossed the 10-million passengers mark last year and is expecting to handle 12 million passengers this year, he told mediapersons here on Tuesday.

"There will be more check-in counters along with the corresponding security apparatus in place," he said, adding that the company was expecting to double the passenger numbers in the next five years, primarily triggered by business travel.

The Hyderabad international airport, which was commissioned in March 2008 with an initial capacity of 12 million passengers a year, has scope to further increase the capacity to accommodate over 40 million passenger a year, in a phased manner. "The proposal for the expansion is currently in the design stage," Kishore said.

GHIAL today commissioned a 5-Mw captive power plant with an investment of Rs 25 crore, excluding land. The plant generates about 25,000 units per day and currently caters to about 30% of the airport's power requirements.

GHIAL will add another seven Mw during the 2016-17 financial year, Kishore said, adding that the airport would invest around Rs 150 crore in setting up solar power plants of 30 Mw capacity in the medium-term.