The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : AAI will focus on development of infrastructure

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Thursday, Jan 17, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

AAI will focus on development of infrastructure

Special Correspondent

It has lined up projects worth Rs.3,400 crore
for this year

CHENNAI: The Airports Authority of India will focus on improving infrastructure in airports across the country in the coming year to keep pace with the rapid growth in air traffic, K. Ramalingam, Chairman, Airports Authority of India, said on Wednesday.

The AAI has outlined a budget of Rs. 3,400 crore for projects in the coming year, a 78 per cent increase over last year.

The aviation industry grew by a record 33 per cent in 2007, and Dr. Ramalingam said there was an urgent need to prevent a mismatch between infrastructure on the ground and growth in the skies. “We should understand that infrastructure for today should have to be built yesterday,” he said. “We need to build infrastructure to meet the expansion of traffic, and we have to make sure there is no mismatch between technology on the ground and in the airspace.”

The AAI would particularly invest in developing Tier-II airports and execute around 35 non-metro projects. A number of projects were slated for southern airports. New terminals would come up in Madurai, Tiruchi and Coimbatore, and their runways would also be expanded—Madurai’s and Tiruchi’s to 7,500 feet and Coimbatore to 9,000 feet. Airports at Tuticorin, Salem, Puducherry and Rajahmundry would also be developed to allow operations of bigger aircraft.

While several of these projects would be handled on a “turnkey basis,” Dr. Ramalingam said, the AAI would seek to “compete” with the private sector to improve standards.

Chennai’s airport was set to undergo a rapid expansion in the coming months. Some developments were under way—a second cross-runway was made operational last month, and Dr. Ramalingam said it would go a long way in preventing traffic congestion.

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