Hyderabad (HYD) | Rajiv Gandhi International Airport

[qwertyasd]

hurray! money exchanged hands! (in a good sort of way)

[yyzhyd]

Absolutely stunning night photos!
I love the fountains on the walk from the parking areas...
I can't wait to visit the motherland later this year.

[Desidude]

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...2152120100.htm
Hyderabad airport will open on March 23; ground handling rates cut

Airport bus: For passengers worried over reaching the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad on time, the non-stop Aeroexpress shuttle service provides some hope. GHIAL, the airport promoter, has launched 30 of these air-conditioned Volvo buses from four points in Hyderabad at half-an-hour frequency. The one-way cost per passenger would be Rs 95.

Our Bureaus


New Delhi/Hyderabad, March 20 The suspense is off. The new airport in Hyderabad will open on March 23, a week later than originally planned, with the two ground handling agencies there agreeing to drastically reduce the charges, which the airlines will have to pay to use their services.

Protest from some airlines against the high ground handling rates, being charged by the new airport, was the official reason for the airport operationalisation being delayed. The UPA Chairperson, Ms Sonia Gandhi, inaugurated the airport on March 14 and it was scheduled to start functioning from March 16.

Handling costs


Sources told Business Line that the new rates being negotiated were likely to see the airlines paying for the services in a graded manner. The airlines are likely to be charged around Rs 9,000 for the first 10 flights operated in a day per airline with the subsequent flights being charged only Rs 6,500 as ground handling costs. Earlier, the airport authorities had proposed ground handling charges at Rs 22,000 per flight, then brought it down to Rs 13,000 and now to around Rs 9,000.

When contacted, a spokesman for the GMR Group said that the company was in talks with the two ground handling agencies and the outcome will be “pleasantly surprising” for all. While Air India has tied up with Singapore Air Transport Services, Menzies and Bobba Aviation have come together to provide ground handling services at the new airport.

Meanwhile, the airport has received the licence and clearance for operations of fire fighting systems from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and environmental clearance from the State Government.

As a goodwill gesture, the GMR group has decided not to levy any User Development Fee on departing international passengers till March 28 this year and has also waived car parking charges for the first week.

The Centre is looking at more revenue streams for Begumpet airport, which is to shut down when the new airport becomes operational. The Government sources indicated that helicopter operations may be allowed from the old airport.

[full2njoy]

Originally Posted by harsh1802

Source

The pics of the airport are simply fantabulous. Cant wait to visit hyderabad now.

[ramkan]

Hyderabad airport employees go on flash strike
March 21st, 2008 - 11:38 pm ICT - www.thaindian.com


Hyderabad, March 21 (IANS) Just 24 hours before the launch of commercial operations from the new international airport here, employees of the existing Begumpet airport here Friday went on a flash strike to protest the closure of 76-year-old facility. About 500 employees at the Begumpet airport began the strike Friday evening without any advance notice to the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

Employees and casual workers struck the work to demand that the Begumpet airport be kept open at least for domestic operations. They gathered outside the terminal building, shouting slogans in support of their demand.

The new Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad, about 30 km from the city centre, is scheduled to commence commercial operations Sunday. With that, the Begumpet airport will be closed for all civil aviation operations.

The flash strike hit the work at the airport, causing inconvenience to passengers. However, the flights were not affected.

Airport director R.K. Singla said the employees had not given any prior notice for the strike.

This is the second time that existing airport employees have gone on strike to protest its closure.

They had joined the nation-wide strike by AAI employees March 12 to demand that the existing airports in Hyderabad and Bangalore continue operations even after the new airports start functioning.

They called off the strike March 14 after an assurance by the central government that the existing facilities would be used for non-commercial operations.

I do not mind if they continue their strike after saturday...

[barrykul]

Existing crud are the biggest stumbling block in an advancing India. Old habits are hard to die. Good riddance to the leech called AAI. Just a day away for the new HIAL.

[ananth9803]

Originally Posted by ramkan

I do not mind if they continue their strike after saturday...

To hell with the fools! These fellows with their useless unions should have approached GMR when the construction started and asked them to train them to International Airport standards of work and give them employment there. They never bothered about it all along and now when HIAL is all set, they go on strikes - Who cares now? This shows how much they LOVE their jobs and how PLANNED were they!!!!!!

[mooktada]

frigging.. piece of shits... ought to be lined up and shot with machine guns.

[Luckystreak]

To hell with those AAI clowns. Begumpet airport is the worst I have ever used.

To compile my recent experiences over there:

Corrupt to the core. The immigration officer has directly asked for a bribe to let me board my flight. Everybody is after your money - the baggage handlers, the immigration officers and even the toilet cleaners.

Perhaps the only airport in the world which does not specify which baggage carousel handles the luggage of which airline. Utter confusion, with people criss crossing between the conveyors.

Also perhaps the only airport in the world which uses MS Word document printouts stuck on walls to indicate the directions or the immigration area.

The most ridiculous part, actually happened on my previous visit, at the arrival immigration the immigration officer (who has a computer with speakers with him) was actually playing some mass telugu movie songs very loudly in the immigration hall. Was that an airport or some chai baddi?. Just unbelievable.

[Sridhar]

Unfortunately, some of these problems might persist even in the new airport. Immigration and Customs officials are not under the control of the Airport operator. The airport might be nice to look at, but some of these issues will not be automatically solved unless the Government takes steps. Some time ago, there were some attempts to put closed-circuit cameras in the Customs hall at Delhi, to ensure that anybody accepting a bribe was caught. But it was of no use. The cameras were repeatedly sabotaged. And they also set up a system by which the passenger paid the bribe to some person who was not a Customs employee, who later transmitted the amount to the officer. Indian Government officials are ingenious in finding ways around systems.

Let's see if anybody takes any interest in solving issues at the airport other than the physical infrastructure alone.

[ramkan]

Does this mean that we will see those tractors and the Air Daccan buses on the airside even in the new airport. The govt allowed airlines to do their own ground handling for the rest of the year.

Ground-handling firms to pay GMR lower revenues

Surajeet Das Gupta & Manisha Singhal / New Delhi/Mumbai March 22, 2008



GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), the public-private consortium operating the first new airport to start commercial operations, has reduced the revenue stream from the two mandated ground-handling companies Menzies Bobba Aviation and a consortium of Air India-Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS).

Under a new agreement finalised today the two companies will have to pay 5 per cent of annual revenues instead of the earlier 25 per cent, a senior GHIAL executive confirmed.

The move closely follows the civil aviation ministry’s decision to allow domestic carriers to conduct their own ground-handling operations till January 2009.

The decision was made as a result of demands by domestic carriers, which have complained that outsourced ground-handling charges are more than twice the current rates.

Under the existing policy for greenfield airports, domestic carriers have to compulsorily outsource ground-handling to companies mandated by the airport.

The reprieve given to airlines by the government will offer both carriers and the airport time to thrash out contentious issues on pricing.

The two ground-handling companies, which have invested over Rs 200 crore in new equipment, will not, however, be able to break even in five to six years as originally projected since they will only handle international business for the next nine months.

Most of the aircraft handled from Hyderabad are domestic — only 30 out of the 270 daily flights are international.

As a result, GHIAL has had no option but to compensate them for the drastic reduction in their business by reducing the revenue share.

Experts said the two were expecting to earn revenues of around Rs 24 crore this year.

Airport authorities, however, are also planning to hold discussions with the ministry because they say they are apprehensive about meeting quality commitments under the agreement with the government as a result of last night’s decision.

Sources in GMR, the main private developer, said they have no control over ground-handling operations over the next nine months.

[Babji]

URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/22/s...2256550500.htm

Metro rail likely for Shamshabad
HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) Limited is planning to lay a line to the international airport at Shamshabad as part of its second phase of the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS), said its Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy on Friday.

He was making a presentation at the three-day Hyderabad IT Summit being organised by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, FICCI and Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council at the Hyderabad International Conventional Centre in Madhapur.

Mr. Reddy said the public transport link to the airport is a priority and it might be mix of elevated and on ground metro rail system. Work could start once after phase one of the metro rail being taken up in three busy corridors of about 66 kilometres is grounded in two to three months time.

The airport link could be from Falaknuma for a distance of about 12 kilometres and would be extension of Line Two of the first phase between Jubilee Bus Station in Secunderabad to Falaknuma for a distance of 14.78 kilometres. The other two routes of Phase one are from Miyapur to L.B.Nagar for 19.87 kilometres (Line one) and Habsiguda to Shilparamam for 21.74 kilometres (Line three)...

its just one of the possibilities.
GMR is proposing to buld a High Speed Rail Link on their own (PPP) - DMRC did a feasibility study
SCR has it on their wish list to extend MMTS from Falaknuma to Shamsabad
its too early to know who goes first.

[harsh1802]

Phase 2 is too far away.....and MMTS can be an additional option.

But i think GMR should be given a chance to build the HSR link. They did an outstanding job with the airport and i see no reason why they wouldn't do that with the rail link. It would also fit in with their expansion plans for the airport.

[ramkan]

Expect those tractors and Air "dhakkan" buses to be back at the new airport.

Deal clears ground for new airport
22 Mar 2008, 0317 hrs IST,K V Ramana,TNN

HYDERABAD: When Shamshabad airport opens for business at midnight on Saturday, the job of ground handling of passengers' luggage would not be looked after by the two agencies appointed for the purpose.

The airlines themselves would handle this activity—much like what they have been doing at Begumpet airport. This is the reason why private airlines who were very adamant on the issue, have decided to begin operations from Shamshabad. But this concession to private airlines is only till the end of December 2008.

"Airlines are free to have their own ground handling services till December 2008 but from January 2009, they will have to engage the services of the two ground handling agencies appointed for the airport," A Vishwanath, GMR's vice-president (corporate planning) told TOI.

However, airlines which want to avail the services of any of the two agencies,would be free to do so.

Meanwhile, the two consortia Menezies & Bobba and AI-SATS, the ground handlers who had first proposed a tariff of Rs 19,000 per aircraft round and subsequently lowered it to Rs 9,500 per aircraft round, have further slashed the rates. The minimum charge has

now been brought down to Rs 7,500 per aircraft round going up to Rs 9,000. According to sources, the charges now will be based on the frequency of the airline's service.

"An airline operating more number of services from and to the new airport will pay less ground handling charge and vice versa," a GMR official said.

Sources say that airline majors like Jet Airways have decided to continue their own ground handling services at the new airport and not avail the services of the two official ground handling agencies. Many airlines think that even the new tariffs are high. These airlines, sources said, feel that rates between Rs 5,000-6,000 per round would be competitive. The airport could not be opened on its earlier scheduled date of March 16, after private airlines protested that the ground handling charges were too high and paying that price would render their operations uncompetitive.

"So obviously the private operators have got a deal. In that way GMR airport authorities who first insisted airlines have to avail the services of one of the two agencies appointed, have made a climbdown. MoCA then directed that Shamshabad be opened for business," sources said.

[ramkan]

Adieu to Begumpet airport Deccan Chronicle


Hyderabad, March 21: The Pilots and air staff are getting ready to bid adieu to Begumpet airport which they cherished for several decades. Most of them say though they will function from the new airport at Shamshabad from Sunday their heart and soul remain with the Begumpet airport. Saturday is the last working day at Begumpet which had witnessed the growth of aviation in the last seven decades.

"I am more attached with Begumpet since I used to watch planes flying here. It inspired me to choose flying as my career. I have been associated with this airport for 23 years. I have never thought that the historic Begumpet airport would be closed," said Capt. K.P.Katrak, senior pilot of Air India. Unable to control his anger over the closure of airport Capt. Karthik said, "The government was trying to help private companies earn profit at the cost of Begumpet airport. It is unfortunate. It failed to provide even road connectivity to the new airport but took steps to shut down all the operations at the existing airport."

Another pilot, Capt. S.P. Anil Kumar, who has 20 years of experience, said: "We have no other option but to adjust. Change is inevitable. So, I am looking forward to witnessing the progress of aviation industry. " The Air India flight IAC 561 will arrive from Pune at 11.20 pm on Saturday and the same plane will depart to Singapore at 00.25 am on Sunday. "It will be the last commercial flight to arrive and depart from here," said Mr R.K. Singla, director of Begumpet airport.

[Silicon_Valley]

Originally Posted by ramkan

Adieu to Begumpet airport Deccan Chronicle


Hyderabad, March 21: The Pilots and air staff are getting ready to bid adieu to Begumpet airport which they cherished for several decades. Most of them say though they will function from the new airport at Shamshabad from Sunday their heart and soul remain with the Begumpet airport. Saturday is the last working day at Begumpet which had witnessed the growth of aviation in the last seven decades.

"I am more attached with Begumpet since I used to watch planes flying here. It inspired me to choose flying as my career. I have been associated with this airport for 23 years. I have never thought that the historic Begumpet airport would be closed," said Capt. K.P.Katrak, senior pilot of Air India. Unable to control his anger over the closure of airport Capt. Karthik said, "The government was trying to help private companies earn profit at the cost of Begumpet airport. It is unfortunate. It failed to provide even road connectivity to the new airport but took steps to shut down all the operations at the existing airport."

Another pilot, Capt. S.P. Anil Kumar, who has 20 years of experience, said: "We have no other option but to adjust. Change is inevitable. So, I am looking forward to witnessing the progress of aviation industry. " The Air India flight IAC 561 will arrive from Pune at 11.20 pm on Saturday and the same plane will depart to Singapore at 00.25 am on Sunday. "It will be the last commercial flight to arrive and depart from here," said Mr R.K. Singla, director of Begumpet airport.

IMO, to forge ahead in terms of development, we have to sacrifice the old infrastructure and with it emotions and memories. The same happened to me when they decided to close the HAL airport at Bangalore, where I have some fond memories (however bad the airport may be, I still have some good memories which I will not explain here ). But unless we overwrite the older memories, we cannot write new ones!

[ramkan]

Got this attachment with an email from RIAL marketing

Greetings from Hyderabad International Airport Ltd..

GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) promoter of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad today received notification from Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) to commence operations from 00:01 hours on Sunday, 23rd March 2008. The notification also confirms that consequent on commissioning of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad the existing Begumpet airport at Hyderabad will no longer be available for Civil Aviation operations.

Looking forward to welcome you at New Airport.

Best regards

Gautam Malik
General Manager – Marketing

[whitefeather]

Shamshabad International Airport - International and Domestic Flight Schedule Weblink - March 23, 2008

http://www.newhyderabadairport.com/timings/flight.php

SOURCE

[whitefeather]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/C...ow/2886207.cms

HYDERABAD: Ending a week-long suspense, the ministry of civil aviation (MoCA) on Thursday suddenly decided to throw open commercial operations at the Shamshabad airport from the midnight of March 22, 2008.

The ministry also decided to pull down the curtains over the existing airport at Begumpet despite many private airlines and some sections of public opposing the move.

The MoCA move came even as the airlines and ground handling companies were still in talks in a bid to resolve the impasse arising out of the dispute over ground handling charges. "The ministry suddenly decided to force the agitating airlines to fall in line and start flying in and out of the new airport. With Lok Sabha going into recess, the ministry decided to open the airport. If Parliament were on, it would have faced opposition in the House," said a source. Meanwhile, representatives of private airlines who had become voluble in recent days about the need to keep Begumpet open went scurrying for cover after the announcement was made.

As per the schedule of Shamshabad airport, Lufthansa's Frankfurt-Hyderabad flight will be the first to land at the airport on Saturday midnight. The new airport authorities have also decided to waive off the user development fee (UDF) of Rs 1,000 to be levied on the outbound international passengers till March 28, 2008. Similarly, no fee will be charged on vehicle parking for the first week.

The 76-year-old Begumpet airport will now be open only for aircraft owned or operated by the Indian Air Force or other armed forces, para-military forces and police. The existing airport will also be used for transportation of VIPs by special government-owned, leased or hired aircraft.

The ministry has also transferred the International Air Transport Association (IATA) code "HYD" for the existing airport to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. Striking the last nail on the existing airport's coffin, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also decided to amend the licence issued to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for operating the Begumpet airport allowing it to be available for general aviation services other than those relating to "commercial aircraft, charter flights, aircraft hired or operated under commercial arrangements".

[harsh1802]

Just hours away from the launch now.....