GMR to operate Hyd airport till March 2068 after Centre extends contract

Hyderabad: GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) has received a letter of confirmation from the ministry of civil aviation (MoCA) extending the term of the concession agreement for operating Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad for a further period of 30 years – from 23 March 2038 up to 22 March 2068. This extension is in terms of the concession agreement dated 20 December 2004.

GHIAL is a step-down subsidiary of GMR Infrastructure Limited (GIL).

The strategically-located Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) at Hyderabad has established the city prominently on the global aviation map and continues to contribute to the prosperity, growth, and all-around economic development of the region.

RGIA Hyderabad is now a gateway to south and central India. It was commissioned in a record time of 31 months and inaugurated in March 2008. The initial capacity of the airport was 12 million passengers per annum (MPPA) which went up to 21 MPPA in 2019 (pre-COVID). The airport at present is undergoing a major expansion, following which the capacity will be enhanced to 34 MPPA. The airport has 1,50,000 tons of cargo-handling capacity per annum. The airport master plan has the flexibility to increase the ultimate capacity to over 100 MPPA in phases.

RGIA is India's first greenfield airport built under the public-private partnership model. It is the first airport in India to introduce a unique e-boarding solution. Today, RGIA is the only airport in the country to have an end-to-end digital passenger processing system.