Tuesday, May 22, 2007

New airport in Chennai on AAI radar


By IE
Tuesday May 22, 02:10 AM

Even as the Tamil Nadu Government and Civil Aviation Ministry explore opportunities to modernise the Chennai airport on the lines of Delhi and Mumbai, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is learnt to have favoured the construction of a greenfield airport in Chennai rather than going in for a makeover at the existing site.
Officials told The Indian Express that out of the two short-listed sites at Sriperumbudur and Oragudam, the AAI had found one at Sriperumbudur ideal to construct a greenfield airport. "Both the sites have been examined and the one at Sriperumbudur appears more suitable since having an airport at Oragudam would mean a clash of flight paths with the IAF's Tambaram airfield, something which would require constant coordination with the IAF authorities," an AAI official said. He added that roughly 5,000 acres needed to construct a greenfield airport are available at both the sites.

As for the existing airport, the AAI is of the view that a logical thing would be to construct a new domestic terminal and allow simultaneous use of the cross runways there. "These things can take us through till the year 2015. During that time, a greenfield airport with two parallel runways can be readied," said a source.

The Tamil Nadu Government had recently proposed to modernise the existing airport utilising 832 acres of land north of Adyar river. And even though the Civil Aviation Ministry has asked the state Government to get issues like connecting the existing infrastructure with the new land being offered sorted out by May 31, sources say the proposal has found few takers in the ministry.

"Issues relating to land acquisition, relocation of population, flooding from Adyar river and linking of new infrastructure with existing one will need to be resolved if the TN Government's proposal to expand the existing airport is accepted. Modernising the existing airport appears technically unfeasible. Only a greenfield airport appears to be a long-term solution," said a senior AAI official.

Works amounting to Rs 221.89 crore, relating to terminal buildings, parking bays, cargo building and operations block, are currently underway at the airport. Officials said once developed, these facilities would cater to a traffic demand up to 2010.

The AAI plans to construct a new domestic terminal, expand the International Terminal, construct Phase III of the Integrated Cargo Building and new parking bays at a cost of Rs 705 crore. Development of these facilities would equip the airport cater to traffic demands up to 2015, according to the AAI.

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