Issue 5 2009

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport

Issue 5 2009 / 29 September 2009 / Mr P Sripathy, CEO, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd

GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) was formed to design, finance, build, operate and maintain the Greenfield Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) on 5,495 acres in Shamshabad, located 25km from the city centre of Hyderabad. The airport is the first Public Private Partnership in the Indian airport infrastructure sector between GMR Infrastructure Ltd (63%), Malaysian Airports Holdings Berhad (11%), Airports Authority of India (13%) and Government of Andhra Pradesh (13%).

The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, which opened to commercial traffic from 23 March 2008, provides world-class facilities and infrastructure, in accordance with ICAO standards and practices to handle large aircraft and international traffic. Its integrated domestic and international terminals are equipped with 12 contact boarding bridges, 30 remote stands, Common User Terminal Equipment (CUTE), self service check-in kiosks (Common User Self Service – CUSS) and 46 immigration counters. It also incorporates modern IT systems, including Flight Information Display Screens (FIDS), Baggage Handling System (BHS), and Airport Operational Database (AODB) technology for the first time in India. RGIA is the first Indian airport to have the Airport Operations Control Centre, which acts as the nerve centre for all coordination within the airport. (more…)

Setting operational benchmarks

Issue 5 2009 / 29 September 2009 / Marcel Hungerbuehler, CEO of Bangalore International Airport Limited

Realising the dream of giving Bangalore an airport of world class standards has not been an easy one. If not for the relentless commitment and enthusiasm of the thousands of people involved in the making of the airport, the many complex issues faced could have slackened the pace and the outcome.

On May 24 this year, one year from the airport opening date, the airport handled over 8.7 million passengers and over 120,000 aircraft movements. We have come a long way in these 13 months of operations and can proudly say that we have reached a high level of efficiency.

Departure punctuality reached over 80% in the last few months, within 15 minutes of scheduled time. Baggage delivery remained constant over several months and stands at seven minutes of the first baggage being on the belt for both domestic and international arrivals. By international standards, this is a good record. (more…)

Expansion needs at Oslo Airport

Issue 5 2009 / 29 September 2009 / Nic Nilsen, Managing Director, Oslo Airport

As Norway’s primary airport, Oslo Airport (OSL) has a unique position in Norwegian aviation. During its first 10 years of operation, the airport has seen very positive growth. A number of major and minor measures have helped to meet various passenger needs during this time. Oslo Airport will eventually need considerable expansion to meet future passenger needs.

With its single terminal, Oslo Airport is one of the most efficient airports in Europe. The airport is owned by Avinor AS, a fully-owned state limited company. Avinor AS owns and operates a total of 46 airports in Norway. Oslo Lufthavn AS accounts for around 50% of Avinor’s total production, and the revenues from OSL are vital for the operation of Norway’s regional airports.

In the period 2003-2008, Oslo Airport saw considerable growth in passenger traffic. In 2003, 13.6 million passengers flew via OSL, and in 2008 the corresponding figure was 19.3 million. This is a growth of 42%. In this period, the capacity of the terminal was enlarged from the original 17 million passengers, to 22 million. This includes an expansion of the terminal towards the east. Plans are now being drawn up for further expansion. (more…)

ISAGO – Moving forward

Issue 5 2009 / 29 September 2009 / Mike O'Brien, Director of Safety Audit Programmes, IATA

IATA’s Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) is gaining great momentum throughout the industry, and is closing in on its first milestone target – 100 audits – which is expected to be reached by early October. The growth in audit numbers is impressive, but what’s more important is the number of companies actively applying the ISAGO standards and preparing for an audit in due course.

ISAGO is designed for ground handling companies operating at airports. The aims of the programme are simple – improving operational safety, reducing ground damage and promoting audit efficiency. ISAGO audits are already being carried out worldwide, in locations as diverse as Harare, Hanoi, Hong Kong and Hurghadah. Twenty ground handling companies are already on the ISAGO registry, meaning that their corporate audit and at least one of their airport stations has been fully audited (the registry listing can be found at www.iata.org/isago).

ISAGO corporate audits, which focus on organisation and management systems, are carried out by the same audit organisations that IATA uses for IOSA audits. At the station level, where the audits are more numerous, IATA has formed a pool of auditors drawn from existing auditors in its member airlines that would normally be doing station audits for their own airline. To date, 38 IATA member airlines have joined the pool. (more…)

Combining continuity and change

Issue 5 2009 / 29 September 2009 / Dr. Bender & Dr. Schulte, Fraport

International Airport Review interviews Dr. Schulte and Dr. Bender as he hands over the Fraport Chairmanship to Dr. Schulte. (more…)

Marrying art with utility

Issue 5 2009 / 29 September 2009 / V P Agrawal, Chairman, Airports Authority of India

It gives me great pleasure indeed to present the Indian Regional Focus in International Airport Review. At the outset, I would like to compliment IAR for the yeoman service they are rendering to the Global Aviation fraternity by keeping us up to date with developments the world over.

A decade and a half after the open sky policy was launched in India, it catapulted into a globalisation era and the aviation fraternity of India at large is trying to come to terms with the situation. As a result of the phenomenal and unprecedented surge experienced in the aviation sector in the last decade, Airports Authority of India (AAI) has taken on numerous development works at almost 50 airports in the country and it will be appreciated that the venture embarked upon by AAI requires huge sums of money, which was envisaged to be catered from in-house sources.

The past year has indeed been the most turbulent period in the annals of AAI history, due to the global economic meltdown. This meltdown in turn was the basic cause of the germination of the tense economic situation the world over and in particular the financial market, which has had a strong influence on development activities. As a corollary of the scenario so developed, the air traffic growth and revenue receipts worldwide have been adversely affected. (more…)

Best connections for the Berlin region

Issue 5 2009 / 29 September 2009 / Dr. Rainer Schwarz, CEO, Berlin Airports

Berlin Airports provides essential aviation infrastructure for the entire Berlin-Brandenburg region around Germany’s capital city. In September 2006, work started to transform and extend Schoenefeld Airport into the new Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport (BBI). From 2011, all air traffic in the region will be focused on the new airport in south-east Berlin. The first major step towards this goal was the closure of Tempelhof Airport on 30 October 2008. The closure of Tegel Airport is due to follow in 2011 when BBI opens.

2008 was the most successful year in the history of Berlin Airports. With a record result of over 21 million passengers, Berlin Airports surpassed the previous year’s figures by an impressive 1.4 million passengers, which represents growth of 6.8 percent. These results make Berlin one of the fastest-growing airports in Germany. In the ranking of Germany’s 24 commercial airports, Berlin again succeeded in securing third position behind Frankfurt and Munich. In the European ranking, Berlin occupies fifteenth place. (more…)

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport

Issue 5 2009 / 29 September 2009 / Christine E. Klein, Deputy Commissioner of Aviation, Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF)

Many changes have occurred at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) since the early 1960’s, when the Anchorage airport was first recognised as the “Air Crossroads of the World.” Today, a newly renovated airport terminal facility is a showcase of architecture and achievements, welcoming Alaskans and visitors as they fly to and from Alaska.

The airport’s strategic location has attracted nearly every major air cargo carrier operating in Asia and North America. Air cargo has expanded rapidly over the last dozen years and has dramatically increased the number of cargo flights utilising ANC for refuelling and technical stops. Today the airport ranks number one in the U.S. for landed gross weight and ranks fifth largest in the world for cargo tonnage.

In 1998 airport stakeholders and community organisations agreed that a renovation and expansion of the domestic terminal was pivotal to the airport’s ability to provide service for the travelling public. What began in 1999 as the Terminal Redevelopment Project (TRP), with numerous phases, will be completed this autumn. (more…)

Keeping up with the pace of rapid globalisation – “A challenge for the Airport Fire Service”

Issue 5 2009 / 29 September 2009 / Peggy Hinkel, Senior Executive Manager, Fire Training Centre, Fraport

As we look at airports around the world, we see the effects of globalisation. Airports are no longer airports. Globally, airports are evolving into “Airport Cities” pulsating with major development and expansion projects. They are becoming the “Market Places of today’s Economy” becoming “job generators” and the business place of major retailers, hotels, cargo forwarders, conference centres, public transportation facilities and living areas, just to mention a few. The rapid growth and expansion of these airports is a positive reflection towards the “Globalisation Move”, however the move into the global future and the rapid expansion and development of our airports present special and increased challenges for airport’s fire and emergency services. (more…)

Airline baggage and freight – reducing the risks

Issue 5 2009 / 29 September 2009 / Chris Pinder, Regional General Manager, British Security Industry Association

Recent publicity over the release from custody of the convicted Lockerbie bomber has provided a potent reminder of the continuing importance of airline baggage and freight security. Chris Pinder, British Security Industry Association’s Regional General Manager, looks at some of the current procedures and developments in this vital area.

The security of items carried aboard commercial aircraft combines technology and procedures for inspection and screening in the four categories of hand baggage, luggage checked into the hold, travellers themselves and cargo. The most visible of these measures is, of course, the security checks conducted on all passengers and their hand baggage before they are allowed to board an aircraft. All hand baggage, including items such as coats, handbags, laptop computers, mobile phones and cameras, undergoes x-ray examination before passengers are allowed to enter the departure lounge. In addition, travellers pass through metal detectors or backscatter X-Ray whole body scanners and may be subject to physical search. (more…)