Delhi, Mumbai Airports To Become International Hubs
Delhi and Mumbai are proposed to be developed as international hubs on the lines of the Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Changi airports, according to the draft airport policy.
These international hubs are expected to provide facilities matching world standards and will feature shopping complexes, hotels and conferencing and entertainment facilities.
The policy also envisages reclassification of all airports in the country into international, national and regional hubs. Both international and national hubs will have the status of international airports for the purpose of bilateral agreements.
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The second category of airports that will be developed as national hubs may include those now classified as international airports. This would include Chennai, Calcutta and Thiruvananthapu-ram. Airports at Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Amritsar and Guwahati will be added to the list when the facilities available at these airports are upgraded to the desired standard.
National hubs will be used for dispersal of international traffic to the hinterland and the facilities will match world standards.
Regional hubs will act as operational bases for regional airlines and also have all the facilities required in model airports, including the capability to handle limited international traffic.
The identification of regional hubs will be on the basis of origin-destination surveys, traffic demand and the requirements of airlines. State governments will be associated as co-promoters of regional airlines.
The rest of the airports will be classified as operational, to be developed at low cost on the basis of individual need. Airports serving state capitals will get priority.
The status of airports will be reviewed every five years and any revision will require cabinet approval.
Master plans for the development of airports will be prepared or revised by the operating agency and will conform to standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
Any upgradation or modernisation will be bound by the master plan, and deviations, if any, will have to be approved by the board of directors of the operating agency. In the allotment of funds, priority will be given to safety, passenger facilities and aircraft and cargo handling, the draft policy states.