GMR Aero takes over operations of Nagpur Airport

Nagpur airport's annual capacity is 3.5 lakh passengers.

Nagpur: The operations of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur were formally handed over from Mihan India Ltd to GMR Aero, which will now upgrade and modernise the existing facility.

“Today is a historic day for Nagpur and a moment of great joy for all that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport is being formally handed over to GMR under a public-private partnership (PPP) model,” Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu said on Thursday, June 25.

Speaking at an event, he said that the growth that the country achieved in the aviation sector in the last 12 years was just the beginning as “much bigger growth” was waiting to happen.

This initiative by the Maharashtra government, the Centre, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN), and GMR is not just a handover, but a coming together of many stakeholders working as one force for a single purpose for the citizens of Nagpur, he said.

“This will be a new takeoff for Nagpur’s dreams and a launchpad for Vidarbha’s aspirations,” he said, praising Union minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for their contribution in the initiative.

He said there is a huge possibility of Nagpur becoming the first ever ‘aerotropolis’ in the country.

Nagpur airport’s annual capacity is 3.5 lakh passengers, and because of that the airport is reaching the full saturation for which this terminal was built, the minister added.

“Now the airport needs to be expanded further. I am happy to say that they (GMR) have created a very good design. If you look at the numbers, the passenger footfall has increased by about 10 lakh over the past 10 years. So you can imagine that despite many challenges, we saw an increase of 10 lakh over the last decade,” Naidu said.

With the new Terminal 2 being built, the facility will cater to 60 lakh passengers every year. So that is a great form of investment that is coming to the city. Nagpur airport is being developed with a master plan to ultimately reach a capacity of three crore passengers, according to him.

“I would like to point out one more thing – its capacity will not be only for travel. This was mentioned earlier as well. If I tell you about the MRO capability, the importance of this area will grow substantially going forward,” he said.

Naidu said that Nagpur is the most suitable and ideal place to develop an MRO hub of the country.

The government is looking at how to strengthen the country’s aviation footprint and what we need to do. One or two key areas stand out among them — MRO is a major potential sector, he said.

“Right now, if we need MRO for engines or components, we have to go to other countries. That causes foreign-exchange losses, time delays, and those effects ultimately impact our Indian passengers. So our vision is to develop full MRO capacity locally here in India.

“I can say that Nagpur is the most suitable place for an MRO hub geographically, weather-wise, and in terms of connectivity and strategy. From every perspective, Nagpur is ideally suited to become the country’s MRO hub,” he said.

According to the Union minister, India had created a strong growth story in the field of aviation.

“The staggering numbers we have shown in aviation over the past 12 years are only the beginning. Much bigger growth is coming. The (UDAN) flight scheme, which helped bring about this aviation revolution, was originally planned for 10 years. Now, PM Modi is going to extend it for another 10 years, for which the Centre will spend Rs 29,000 crore,” he said.

The targets for the next 10 years include building 100 new airports in the country and 200 helipads, he said, adding that all of this will increase the travel capacity.