HYDERABAD: GMR Airports, which recently completed a major capacity expansion at the Hyderabad international airport to 34 million passengers per annum (MPPA) from the initial capacity of 12 million MPPA, is already considering adding a second terminal and a new runway due to passenger traffic soaring to nearly 30 MPPA.
“We are already reaching 30 million after six months of the inauguration of the expanded terminal. Even though it is designed for 34 MPPA, we are using technology to see how we can maximise the asset to reach up to 45-50 MPPA. With the type of growth Hyderabad and India are witnessing, it is only a matter of three to four years,” said SGK Kishore, chief innovation officer and executive director-South, GMR Airports.
“Next we will be planning the northern runway at the second terminal. That planning has already started, and if everything goes well and traffic remains buoyant, maybe in the next couple of years, we may have to commence the second runway and second terminal,” he said, pointing out that it takes three to four years to obtain environmental designs, regulatory clearances, and other permissions.
Kishore said the Hyderabad airport airside is currently handling around 43-44 flight movements per hour, and the airport is targeting 50 plus movements per hour. “We believe that this airside can go up to 55 aircraft movements by benchmarking with the best of the global airside practices,” he said.
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