The past decade has witnessed a fast-paced growth in traffic at Indian airports. Traffic has grown almost three times of GDP. Burgeoning numbers opened up a vista of opportunities in the airports sector. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought the sector to a standstill. The complete suspension of travel has adversely impacted the revenue streams of airports. In a panel discussion at Infrabuild India, industry experts discussed the experience so far, the expectations from contractors, the impact of Covid-19 on project execution, and the key issues and challenges. Excerpts…
Vijay Balah, Vice-President MENA and India, Asite Solutions
Covid-19 has accelerated the demand for technologies that streamline remote planning and project monitoring, and integrate building information modelling (BIM) seamlessly. A common data environment (CDE) is essential to any successful project – especially in industries that are asset intensive such as airports – ensuring interoperability and integration with a business systems to enhance the flow of project data. Industry and government organisations should prioritise cloud-based collaboration where they can facilitate end-to-end project monitoring and a more efficient handover to operations and maintenance (O&M).
Daniel Bircher, Chief Executive Officer, Zurich Airport International Asia
The entire planning process for the Noida International Airport has been done using digital technology solutions. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has given in-principle approval to the project and we have also secured environmental clearances. The project is to be completed within a period of three years from the appointed date. The Covid-19 outbreak has led to delays in the signing of the concession agreement. The Noida International Airport is a 40-year concession and under Phase I, a capacity of 12 mppa will be developed. The future capacity expansion will largely depend on the traffic growth and demand. So far, the site preparation studies have been conducted successfully. BIM is being used for project monitoring. While the financing, take-over and infrastructure expansion are the key challenges for brownfield projects, greenfield airport projects bear a broader range of risks. However, land acquisition for such airports is challenging. Labour shortage is also an issue due to the Covid-19 outbreak. We will try to drive the design process as much as possible before engaging EPC contractors, to reduce the risk of cost and time overruns.
Subodh Kumar, Vice-President, Project Construction, Mumbai International Airport Limited
The Mumbai International Airport has a state-of-art terminal and multi-level car parking, along with iconic air traffic control and other facilities. We are currently redesigning the Lucknow airport terminal and looking for optimisation. We have in-house capabilities, starting from planning to designing. One of the biggest challenges is to get the land. The design process has been frozen and the master planning is in progress. The contractor for the project is already on board. Phase I of the project was expected to be completed by December 2020. Due to the pandemic, the project has been delayed to December 2021. Phase II will be completed by December 2022. There are different agencies involved with the design, project management consultancy and sub-contracting. Integration of these roles are important. Different aspects such as project management, design, customer expectation, culture and economy need to be considered while implementing the project. Since the developer is the manager of the team, he needs to lead from the front to ensure that the project is getting completed on time with focus on safety and quality.
Hari Parameshwar, Executive Director, AECOM
While this is an era of technology transformation, labour availability is a big challenge. Increased focus on technology is necessary for upcoming airports such as Navi Mumbai and Jewar. Same technology platforms should be used by all stakeholders involved with the project. A strong commitment from the promoter is crucial for the timely completion of the project. Besides, a collaborative approach is needed to resolve project related issues. Planning should be completed before starting on ground implementation of the project to avoid disputes and claims later. Earthwork is the most painful part of an airport project. The Airports Authority of India (AAI), being a public sector entity, is subject to a lot of internal processes, guidelines and regulations. Despite being a corporation of talented professionals, such restrictions and bureaucratic processes sometimes lead to delay in decisions, resulting in project delays. Private developers, on the contrary, tend to display the much needed commitment to drive projects. AAI should be made more autonomous, with liberalised policies, to be better able to compete with private promoters.
Anand Sirohi, Director, Key Accounts and Large Projects, India and SAARC, Trimble
While industry stakeholders are more aware now and favourably inclined towards mechanisation and automation, there knowledge gap about how and what kind of technology is available and how to use it in the best way. Trimble started as a company that commercialised GPS technology, and has since made a significant contribution to infrastructure construction across the globe. Investment in technology pays for itself and often leads to savings of seven to eight times. There is a need for industry to collaboratively reach out to AAI and flag issues that are inhibiting technology adoption. Trimble provides the technology backbone for data driven construction projects.