AAI set to sign pact for Nagpur air cargo hub

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) will soon ink a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the construction of a proposed multi-modal international air cargo and passenger hub (MIHAN).

The land and building at the Nagpur airport will then be handed over to MADC for maintenance while AAI will continue to provide its services.

The modalities of the deal are still being worked out. This was disclosed by regional executive director of AAI, Western Region, SR Raghavendra Rao, on the sidelines of the Regional Best Fire Station Awards ceremony last weekend. Rao said, Nagpur was among 30 airports in the country which had been identified for commercial upgradation of land.

Consultants had already been appointed for the exercise. Rao said there were 35 airports under the Western Region out of which 20 were still operating. The region contributed Rs 300 crore every year in revenues to the AAI, with Ahmedabad, Goa, Pune and Baroda Airports being the top 4 money-spinners.

Rao added AAI planned to invest Rs 60 crore this year on 20 airports in the region. Work had already started for adding 1,500 feet to the 6,000-feet long Raipur airport. Chhattisgarh government has provided land for the extension and Jet Airways had already started its service from the Raipur airport.

Goa Airport is being developed at a cost of Rs 8 crore and the Belgaum airport is being upgraded at a cost of Rs 14 crore. An ambitious project of constructing domestic arrival and departure building at Ahmedabad is also underway.

In Nagpur, two remote bays would be constructed besides undertaking other projects in due course.

Rao said, there were seven parking bays at the Nagpur airport of which four were being used to handle regular traffic, two have been alloted to Air Deccan which is expected to begin service from September 11. The Nagpur airport currently makes a loss of Rs 15 crore annually, which is footed by AAI.

However, its performance is expected to improve once traffic improves and more airlines begin services from the city. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has drawn ambitious long term plans to meet the challenges posed by the increasing air traffic and advancement in aircraft technology.

Some of the major plans for implementation of ICAO CNS/ATM programme are replacement of ground-based Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) with that of a satellite-based system, establishment of

Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS), automation in the air traffic control services, establishment of Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS), coverage of the Indian land mass through Satellite Communication, VHF data links and Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar with Mode 'S' Capability.