Indian cities are expanding rapidly in terms of their population and consequently, their geographical extent. As a result, connectivity between different tiers of cities is becoming more crucial. Airports have become instrumental in serving this need and the rising demand for travel. This pattern is reflected in key airports such as the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow, Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru and Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad. The modernisation of these airports has become important to enable capacity expansion, improve the passenger experience, deal with rising congestion and attain global quality standards. Airport operators and stakeholders are attempting to achieve these goals by integrating advanced technologies and deploying innovative digital platforms in the construction, operations and maintenance, and management processes. Operators are also aiming for sustainable development of these airports. Sustainable growth measures are being adopted to achieve carbon neutrality and net zero targets.
Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport
The upgradation of Lucknow airport is underway under Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL). The aim is to offload the existing overcrowded terminal and facilitate ease of passenger movement. To this end, the new terminal (T3) of Lucknow airport was inaugurated on March 10, 2024. It is expected to be operational from the first week of April 2024. This work was started by AAI with Nagarjuna Construction Company Limited as the contractor. The passenger handling capacity of Phase I of T3 is 8 million passengers per annum (mppa). This will go up to 13.7 mppa with the completion of Phase II. It can handle a combined peak of 1,817 passengers per hour, with an exclusive domestic capacity of 1,766 passengers per hour and 571 international passengers per hour. It covers an area of 117,000 square metres. It is a multi-level terminal with a four-floor departure area, a mezzanine floor at the arrival level and a basement equipped with all utilities.
The upgradation work at T3 has been focused on the adoption of innovative technologies and sustainability initiatives by changing the old specifications in the bill of quantities to modern techniques. The idea behind the terminal design is to create an experience centre with incremental spaces in the terminal building, including duty-free and duty-paid retail areas. Additional unique passenger touch points have been added, such as 50 self-service kiosks, 30 self-baggage drop (SBD) counters, 37 traditional check-in counters, 27 departure and 33 arrival immigration desks, four customs desks, and nine automated tray retrieval systems (ATRSs) in the domestic security line and five in international. Additional ATRSs have been added at the immigration counters following the construction of the terminal upon the instructions of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The terminal is also equipped with a medical facility and a hotel.
The original master plan of the airport is also being revised. The old T1 building currently acts as the international terminal. However, passenger movement happens mainly from T1 to T2. Therefore, the plan is to dedicate T2 to pilgrimage facilities and increase the space and capacity of T3 for other operations. Domestic-to-domestic and international-to-international transfers have also been introduced despite not being in the original plan. Other important modifications include straightening of the curved shape check-in counters, reconfiguration of immigration security check counters, relocation and combing of domestic security check lines, and enhancement of the immigration hall to accommodate the increased capacity of the integrated terminal. Unidirectional passenger movement has been made possible through the terminal layout. Seven passenger boarding bridges, 50 check-in desks and 1.4 km of elevated road in front of the terminal and before the departure gate have also been provided for ease of movement.
Sustainability was a prime focus while designing T3. Daylight harvesting has been facilitated with “jaali” design and the addition of 30 skylights; passive cooling techniques have been adopted such as the extension of a roof over the north and south façades and the addition of a glass canopy; and the landscape has been enlarged with additional green spaces within and outside the terminal. Green walls have also been installed at different areas of the terminal, including boarding gates and toilets. The heating capacity of the terminal is 2,000 kW and the cooling capacity is 4,000 tonnes of refrigeration. Storm water drainage at the cityside has also been changed to address flooding at the airport.
Kempegowda International Airport
KIA is built on the hub concept and leverages the geographical position of Bengaluru to facilitate connectivity in the region. It is one of the first airports in India to be built on a public-private partnership model. It is India’s third largest airport in terms of passenger and freight handling capacity. It is also the only airport in south India with two independent parallel runways. The capacity of the airport is expected to double from 32 mppa in fiscal year 2023 to 65 mmpa in fiscal year 2028. Several upgrades were carried out by Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) between 2018 and 2023. These include the development of a 4,000 metre, code F, category IIIB runway; a dual parallel taxiway and a cross-field taxiway; a new terminal (T2) with a Phase I capacity of 25 mppa; widening of the terminal boulevard to 10 lanes; doubling of the road capacity; and the construction of more aprons.
BIAL has been a front runner in the implementation of sustainability measures to achieve the target of net zero carbon emissions. It is trying to control scope 3 emissions and has been harvesting solar and wind energy. The concept of circular economy is at the core of its operations, with single-use plastic being banned and materials being recycled and reused. Amongst its key pillars is also the promotion of sustainable mobility through the deployment of electric vehicles (EVs). In fact, BIAL is accelerating the uptake of sustainable measures through knowledge sharing between various airports such as Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai. It believes that initiating a behavourial change among the airport authorities in Bengaluru will build trust in sustainability. This should be the main focus area for all stakeholders in the airport community, from airlines to ground handlers, taxi operators, etc. BIAL is enabling this through its corporate social responsibility-based activities and compliance with environment, social and governance norms.
BIAL has ingrained sustainability principles in its roadmap for 2030. This includes achieving water stewardship by harvesting more water than it extracts. Its water positivity index is expected to reach 2.3 at the end of 2024. This translates to putting 2.3 litres of water into nature for every litre of water consumed. Besides, rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment and sustainable methods of irrigation are being implemented. Among digital initiatives, a metaverse platform is available for public use through the BLR Pulse application, which features many activities for passengers. They can navigate through T2 with this application.
Its future plans involve raising passenger growth by enhancing the terminal capacity in the next five years. It also aims to capture the huge demand for cargo growth. Other planned initiatives that would help in this future development include the creation of parallel connectivity from the security point at the east side of the airport, and the upcoming metro connectivity. Moreover, even as the airport city is being developed, BIAL is in discussions with realtors regarding boosting the real estate around the airport. A business park and a hotel are being built in the region. It is also working on leveraging the potential of maintenance, repair and operations in India and building infrastructure to this end. Air India and TATA are collaborating with the Government of Karnataka and are in close discussions with BIAL over pushing related initiatives.
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport
The high economic growth in the Telangana region has accelerated the growth of air traffic at RGIA. Its current capacity of 25 mppa is expected to grow to 34–40 mppa in the next four to five years. Owing to this rapid growth, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) is undertaking expansion work at a faster pace than previously envisioned. This expansion is aimed at offering a seamless passenger experience and ensuring efficient operation through the adoption of new technologies that match global standards.
GHIAL’s masterplan for brownfield work at RGIA includes the integration of technologies for various functions at different parts of the passenger terminal building such as the seating area, lounges, food and beverage facilities, baggage handling, runway throughput, supporting taxiways, night parking stands at the airside and approach road, and ramps and car parking on the landside. These technological initiatives include the installation of ATRSs at all security lanes, coupled with India’s first remote screening facility. This has helped enhance throughput significantly. The airport has also been equipped with e-boarding and SBD facilities. Soon, 58 SBD counters will be added in the check-in area, for a total of 64 SBDs in the airport. RGIA is also the first and only fully stamp-free airport, with 100 per cent paperless travel for all domestic passengers. E-boarding for international passengers has already been activated for IndiGo, and is in progress for other airlines. The DigiYatra facility has been well received, with around 40 per cent of the airport traffic using it. Furthermore, the cityside is being upgraded with the installation of a check-in facility at the shopping plaza right outside the airport. This will enable ease of movement for passengers by allowing them to check in and offer their luggage bags outside the airport.
An airport collaborative decision-making platform, a unique tool developed by AAI, is being used at RGIA to decongest taxiways, improving the predictability of operations and punctuality. Another modernisation initiative is the shift from the Airport Operations Control Centre concept to total airport management through the Airport Operation Centre system. This enables end-to-end management of the strategic, pre-ops (pre-tactical), real-time (tactical) and post-ops stages. Its other benefits include assessing the performance of facilities at the airport, monitoring and coordinating actions in real time, and analysing and optimising the use of operational resources. The centre will be situated outside the terminal building for better handling of business, and will be ready by the end of June 2024.
Among the advanced sustainability measures undertaken by GHIAL is the installation of 36 pre-conditioned air units and 45 fixed electric ground power units. These have been installed at all the new stands commissioned under the expansion plan. The airport has also received Level 4 plus carbon accreditation from Airports Council International. Moreover, a 7.5 MW solar plant has been installed and another 10 MW plant is planned to be added. The airport runs entirely on green energy and is phasing out the use of diesel or CNG-based vehicles with the adoption of EVs under the carbon accreditation programme. To facilitate this transition, GHIAL is creating more EV charging infrastructure at the airport, and has also set up a biofuel station, which sells around 2,500 litres of fuel per day.
Based on the presentations and remarks by Arun Behal, Chief Operating Officer, GHIAL; Sandeep Navlakhe, Chief Projects Officer, AAHL; and Sundar Chandramouli, Vice President, Special Projects, BIAL, at a recent India Infrastructure conference
