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Hyderabad lobbies to retain old airport ---------------------------------------------------------- T S Sudhir Wednesday, February 8, 2006 (Hyderabad): It has been 71 years since the first flight took off from the Hyderabad Airport. But come March 2008, its wings will be clipped, when the new international airport being built by the GMR group on the outskirts of the city takes off. A clause in the MoU necessitates the present airport to be then closed to all commercial activity. "This airport will be used by the Air Force, by the flying academies and for VVIP movement," said R K Singla, Director, Hyderabad Airport. That's perhaps why the Airports Authority of India has stopped spending on upgrading this airport that handles over four lakh passengers every month. The only addition will be two new parking bays to cater to 540 domestic and international flights every week. Nizam's legacy But allowing the Hyderabad Airport to close down will not be easy.* This legacy from Nizam of Hyderabad, spread over 790 acres, is bang in the centre of the city. Aviation experts are now lobbying for the present infrastructure to be retained and used for low-cost airlines. "If there was a way to protect the interest of the promoter of the new airport and allow this to function as a low-cost airport, perhaps if they could manage both, that would make better business sense," said Amit Prasad, Aviation Expert. Interestingly, both the Delhi and Mumbai airports will now have a Hyderabad connection. The same GMR group has won the bid for the Delhi airport while the Hyderabad-based GVK group will modernise the Mumbai airport. ----------------- * As easy/hard as Dabolim? May be worth watching how this issue unfolds.
