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Issue 1 2008, Past issues / 4 February 2008 /
When the Airbus A380, the world’s largest jumbo jet, made its first trip to North America with passengers on board during a route verification flight from Paris last November, it was no surprise that its first stop – and only Canadian visit – was Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL). The airport has all the facilities required to accommodate the giant wide-body aircraft, including double-deck loading bridges and widened taxiways specially completed for the aircraft in 2006.
Montréal–Trudeau has been a world-class gateway for North America and Europe for more than 60 years and the arrival of the A380 only further underscores its growing status as an international transportation hub. Following a major modernisation and expansion program, the airport ranks among the worlds best in terms of connectivity, user-friendliness and low operating costs.
Just 20 minutes by road from the heart of Greater Montréal, Montréal-Trudeau is the main international airport in Canada east of the Great Lakes and close to huge population centres in the northeastern United States. It is also a major economic force in the Greater Montréal area (pop. 3.7 million), creating or maintaining more than 25,000 direct jobs at the airport and at companies operating on the airport site. (more…)
Issue 6 2007, Past issues / 30 November 2007 /
BAA Gatwick Airport is the second largest UK airport and the world’s busiest international single runway operation airport. With two terminals linked by a rapid transit system, BAA Gatwick currently welcomes almost 35 million passengers a year, serving a growing route network of over 200 destinations worldwide with around 90 airline partners.
Recently voted ‘Best Major UK Airport’ by Travel Bulletin readers and regularly winning awards, Gatwick has come a long way since the opening of ‘The Beehive’, the world’s first circular terminal at Gatwick 70 years ago. Next year, the airports’ South Terminal celebrates its 50th birthday and the North Terminal its 20th birthday.
On a busy day in the peak summer season, the airport handles upwards of 800 aircraft movements and around 138,000 passengers fly in and out. On 31 August this year, Gatwick Airport exceeded all records by handling 876 flights in one day. On 2 September a new record of 74,081 arriving passengers was set. These figures show the potential of future growth at the airport. (more…)
Issue 6 2007, Past issues / 30 November 2007 /
From the capital of Latvia, Riga, you can reach “Riga International Airport” in 7 minutes. Latvia is located between the Baltic States (Lithuania and Estonia) and therefore it can cover larger territories. Approximately 2.5 million people in the Baltic States live within a two-hour drive and 3.6 million people live within a four-hour drive from Riga airport.
Riga airport has enjoyed fast growth for the last three years. Today we are the biggest airport in the Baltic States. The number of passengers is still growing and the airport is providing a number of new flights. Statistics show that, in 2007, the number of passengers handled at Riga airport will be close to that of Tallinn and Vilnius airports combined. It is important to maintain the speed of growth and capability, to provide a high level of customer service.
Riga International Airport is also the fastest growing airport in Europe. In March, a new departure terminal was opened with the capability to handle four million passengers per year. Currently, this terminal is used by the low cost airlines and passengers who are heading to countries which are not part of the Schengen zone. (more…)
Issue 5 2007, Past issues / 28 September 2007 /
Noted Indian economist Dr. V.K.R.V. Rao, said more than two decades ago, “The link between infrastructure and economic development is not a once and for all affair. It is a continuous process; and progress in development has to be preceded, accompanied and followed by progress in infrastructure, if we are to fulfil our declared objectives of generating a self-accelerating process of economic development.”
Globally too, the critical role of infrastructure in facilitating growth is widely recognised and well borne out by cross-country experience. The transformation of countries such as Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, China and Malaysia were preceded and reinforced by substantial investments in physical infrastructure.
As India moves towards becoming a mature and vibrant economy, the need for infrastructure to support broad based inclusive growth is ever more pressing. Infrastructure development will undoubtedly play a crucial role in helping India sustain high growth rates. India’s performance in recent years has been among the best in the world. The reforms initiated since the early 1990s have unshackled the economy. The long-term trend rate of growth has steadily increased from an average of 3.5% a year between the 1950s and 1970s, to around 7% to 8% in recent years. It goes without saying that a reliable infrastructure network will lay the foundation for a future of sustainable economic growth in the country. (more…)
Issue 5 2007, Past issues / 28 September 2007 /
India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and the Indian aviation sector is moving even faster. The aviation sector has clocked a phenomenal growth rate of 20-25% over the last few years and it is projected that it will maintain a healthy growth rate in the coming decade.
At the epicentre of this unprecedented growth is the Indira Gandhi International Airport, serving the capital city – Delhi. The airport, with a traffic throughput of 20.44 million passengers (2006-07), is the second busiest airport in the country and is expected to assume the top position in the country by 2011. Currently, the airport is served by nearly 80 domestic and international airlines, connecting more than 120 destinations across the country and the rest of the world.
The airport is operated by Delhi International Airport (P) Limited (DIAL), a consortium led by GMR Group – one of India’s leading infrastructure developers. Other partners in the consortium include Fraport AG, Eraman Malaysia, India Development Fund and Airports Authority of India, under the Public Private Partnership Initiative of the Government of India. DIAL was awarded the mandate to modernise and restructure IGI Airport into a world class facility, after an international competitive bid in January 2006. (more…)
Issue 5 2007, Past issues / 28 September 2007 /
A jewel in the crown of India’s rapidly expanding airport system is rising on a Greenfield site, approximately 30 kilometres south of downtown Hyderabad. The new Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), scheduled for operation in March 2008, is being developed by the GMR Group in a public-private partnership that also includes the State Government of Andhra Pradesh, the Airports Authority of India and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad. The shareholding pattern of this consortium (GHIAL) has 63% held by the GMR Group, 11% by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad and the remaining 26% is held equally between the State Government and Airports Authority of India, a Government of India body.
One of the primary drivers of the growth in the Indian aviation industry stems from the buoyancy in passenger traffic, witnessed in the metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and also at Hyderabad. The existing airport, in the heart of the Hyderabad city, has witnessed a growth of over 40% in the last two years and 43% alone in 2006-07, as the graph below depicts, for both domestic and international passengers. A study, conducted by Lufthansa, on possible growth in passenger numbers over the next five years, also supports the optimism that the GMR group reflects in its pace to build this world-class international airport at Hyderabad. Presently over 20 airlines are connecting passengers to over 32 destinations, in India, the Middle East and the Far East. This number will keep increasing in the coming years. (more…)
Issue 5 2007, Past issues / 28 September 2007 /
In order to keep pace with the rapid development of Bangalore as India’s leader in information technology, biotechnology and the services industry, the Government of Karnataka and the Airport Authority of India decided, in 1999, to call for international consortia to build, own and operate a new Greenfield international airport in Bangalore through an open bid.
Construction of the airport began on 2 July 2005 and will last, including the testing phase, 33 months. The new Bangalore International Airport is estimated to open for commercial operations on 2 April 2008. The current progress is very good and the construction is on track (see Panel 1).
It took almost a decade from the stage of land allocation and acquisition, to the signing of the shareholder agreements in January 2002 and finally the start of construction. In the time BIAL had to negotiate the legal framework (see Panel 2), the Government of India had already planned to privatise other airports. BIAL, being the first private airport, had to set the right precedents for the other private airports and therefore all agreements, like the concession agreement and the CNS ATM agreement, had to be finalised carefully. (more…)
Issue 5 2007, Past issues / 28 September 2007 /
In the middle of the so-called ‘Blue Banana’ – Europe’s prime business region located between Marseille and London – Frankfurt-Hahn Airport is in the process of writing a real success story. Around 100 kilometres away from the metropolis of Frankfurt am Main, this second Frankfurt airport has grown into an important international commercial airport within just a few years. (more…)
Issue 5 2007, Past issues / 28 September 2007 /
The international aviation industry continues to develop robustly despite the negative effects and cost pressures of kerosene supply, security controls and other factors. Airports have responded by adapting capacity to the changing market conditions and growth. New international gateways have been emerging, as have new markets. In this ever changing competitive environment, even a top 10-ranked airport like Frankfurt Airport (FRA) cannot rest on its laurels. Fraport, the airport’s owner and manager, also depends on an active acquisition and sales team to tell airlines the advantages of the Frankfurt global hub and how they will be able to grow their business.
While passenger growth may not be as fast as at some other airports, FRA is growing from a much higher base of 50-plus million passengers. Despite existing capacity constraints, Germany’s largest airport welcomed 52,821,778 passengers last year, 1.1 percent more than in 2005. Airfreight grew at a significantly stronger 8.7 percent rate, hitting 2,057,175 metric tonnes. With 489,406 takeoffs and landings, FRA’s aircraft movements remained nearly unchanged (down 0.2 percent). FRA achieved several historic traffic records in 2006. In July, the monthly passenger volume reached 5,085,258 and aircraft movements climbed to 43,601; in November monthly airfreight traffic hit 187,307 metric tonnes. (more…)
Issue 4 2007, Past issues / 31 July 2007 /
Redevelopment work at Abu Dhabi International Airport is progressing according to plan. A number of facilities are scheduled to go operational in the first half of 2008. These include a third passenger terminal, a second runway, a new state of the art air traffic control complex and the first phase of a free trade zone. The flagship facility, the Midfield Terminal, will come on stream by the end of 2010 and by then the Airport’s overall capacity will triple to 20 million passengers.
The ambitious USD $6.8 billion programme will allow for phased growth of passenger traffic to beyond 40 million per year from the current seven million, while cargo capacity will be boosted to 2.5 million tonnes per year. The programme, which aims at transforming ADIA into a world-class facility, is but one aspect of a fully-fledged Government strategy that will see the UAE capital Emirate evolve into an international business and tourism hub. (more…)
Issue 4 2007, Past issues / 31 July 2007 /
Doha International Airport has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past few years – particularly since 2005, with huge expansion to cope with the sharp rise in demand for air travel to, from and beyond Qatar.
The airport was built in the 1940s. Today, the facility caters for more than 10 million passengers annually, thanks largely to the rapid rise of national carrier Qatar Airways, which handles 80 per cent of the traffic. More than 10 million passengers are set to fly with Qatar Airways during the 12-month period ending 2007.
With unprecedented growth of the national airline, averaging 35 per cent year on year, the need to expand the existing airport has been a priority. Such expansion has seen passenger capacity increase to 4.2 million, 5.6 million and 8 million passengers per annum respectively in recent years.
Doha International Airport has seen more than US$300 million pumped into expanding the departures hall, arrivals area, transit lounge, duty free shopping, immigration and baggage claim areas, creating additional aircraft parking space and building a unique US$90 million passenger departures terminal dedicated to Qatar Airways’ first and business class passengers. (more…)
Issue 4 2007, Past issues / 31 July 2007 /
For centuries the Kingdom of Bahrain was the centre of pearling in the Arabian Gulf. For just as long it has been the focus of the ancient trade routes interfacing Europe and the Middle East with Persia, the sub continent, Africa and beyond.
In the 21st century nothing has changed much. Bahrain International Airport is one of the finest in the Gulf, with runways and facilities that can handle the largest aircraft in service, while the emerging potential at the Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Port and Hidd industrial area, offer spectacular opportunities to organisations and manufacturers aiming to exploit local and regional markets.
The King Fahd Causeway to Saudi Arabia provides unrivalled access to the excellent land routes that spread out across the Arabian Peninsula and in recent years Bahrain has become an ever more influential centre for banking and financial services, commanding increasing respect for its range of fiscal instruments and integrity.
With its agreeable climate, many leisure activities and modern public social infrastructure, Bahrain is also a highly attractive place to live and is truly a ‘gateway’ in every sense. (more…)
Issue 3 2007, Past issues / 7 June 2007 /
The rapid growth in the air transport industry has been a driving force towards the development of civil aviation and airport operations in Singapore since the early 1900s. Over the years, Singapore has seen the development of three airports, namely Seletar Airport, Kallang Airport and Paya Lebar Airport, to cater to the unprecedented demand for air transport / travel.
However, the strain of handling four million passengers per year prompted the Singapore government to make a decision, in 1975, to build a brand new airport at Changi to replace Paya Lebar Airport. Construction of Changi Airport took about six years before it commenced operations in Terminal 1, with one runway, in 1981. Since then, the airport has been continually expanded, upgraded and refreshed. The second runway was completed and opened in 1984 and in 1990 Terminal 2 was opened.
Since Changi Airport began operations, its performance continues to improve year on year. The successful formula of providing clockwork efficiency, quality service and world-class facilities, coupled with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore’s (CAAS) efforts to secure new airlines and routes, are reasons why the airport has one of the most extensive air links in the Asia-Pacific region. Every week, Changi Airport is served by over 80 airlines with approximately 4,200 scheduled flights, linking Singapore to 187 cities in 59 countries. (more…)
Issue 3 2007, Past issues / 7 June 2007 /
KL International Airport (KLIA), the international gateway to Malaysia is located in Sepang, 50 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur. Built on 10,000 hectares of land; it was officially launched on June 27th, 1998. This environmentally friendly airport, the first in the Asia Pacific region, was completed in four and a half years, making it the fastest airport ever built. Designed by renowned Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa, KLIA is a spectacular feat of construction, combining futuristic technology, Malaysian culture and the rich, tropical splendor of its natural resources.
KLIA, the pride of all Malaysians is one of the most modern, sophisticated and preferred airports in the Asia Pacific region. The airport is a regional aviation hub capable of handling 25 million passengers per annum and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo. There are 47 airlines operating at KLIA and currently 23 million passengers have passed through. The opening of the first phase of KLIA comprised a main terminal building, a contact pier, a satellite building, two parallel runways of 4 km each, a control tower and a cargo warehouse. It was also made up of aircraft maintenance and flight catering facilities, car parks and other ancillary facilities. (more…)
Issue 3 2007, Past issues / 7 June 2007 /
Determined to maintain its position as the world’s premier hub for international aviation, Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is committed to providing safe, secure, efficient and reliable service to all of its customers. (more…)
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