http://autofeed.msn.co.in/pandorav3/output/Business/d371a9c0-264f-481b-ae5c- c3e6705d91a7.aspx
Airports may get regional, global status Source: Business Standard. Image Source: DGL.Microsoft New Delhi, May 5: The government is planning to reclassify airports in an attempt to develop their infrastructure and capacity. The airports will be classified as international and regional hubs, replacing the current classification of metro and non-metro airports. International hubs, which will handle international traffic, will have world-class facilities. These include convenient connections to international and domestic destinations, airport-related infrastructure like hotels, shopping areas, conference and entertainment facilities and aircraft maintenance bases. They will have the status of international airports for purposes of bilateral agreements. Regional hubs, as the name suggests, will handle regional traffic. They will act as the operational base for regional airlines and have all the facilities currently marked for model airports,** including the capability to handle limited international traffic.** "There is a need to develop the regional market. There will be steps to promote traffic to these regional hubs," said Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel. The identification of regional hubs will be made on the basis of market demand, traffic demand and the requirements of the airlines. State governments will be associated with the project as co-promoters of regional airlines. One of the options under consideration is to take policy initiatives to help start and operationalise smaller airlines with smaller aircraft to serve the regional markets. There is also a plan to develop other airports on the basis of individual needs to meet traffic requirements. The short-term objective will be to clear incoming international passengers within 45 minutes of arrival and clear departing passengers in 60 minutes, including check-in-time. Similar targets of 30 and 45 minutes, respectively, will be laid down for domestic flights. --------------------------- Anybody want to venture an opinion about the implication of the foregoing for Dabolim and/or Mopa? Seems to me that there IS scope for handling international traffic at both of them even if both are regional and not global hubs (like Mumbai, Delhi etc). Not a word about military control of airports, the nub of India's airport problem, even though Praful Patel's committee has supposedly been 'on the job' since end October 2005! _____________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. Goanet mailing list ([email protected])
