BUDGET - BMR Advisors

estimated cost of Rs 18.08 billion, for completion in June, 2010.Modernization of 35 non-metro airportsAAI has undertaken an ambitions project of modernization of 35non-metro airports. As per a decision taken by the Committeeon Infrastructure, airside work, including construction of terminalbuildings, would be undertaken by AAI. Work on most of theseairports has been taken up. The work at Agra airport has beencompleted and major work at 7 other airports viz Agatti,Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Jaipur, Nagpur, Trichy and Udaipur isscheduled to be completed within the current financial year.It is expected that terminal buildings and associated air sideworks in respect of 24 airports will be completed by end March2009 whereas remaining 11 airports would be completed by endMarch, 2010.City side development of 24 select non-metro airports would betaken through public-private partnership. The city sidedevelopment includes commercial exploitation andmaintenance of terminal buildings besides real estatedevelopment. RFQ for Amritsar and Udaipur has already beenissued and the bids have been received. The initial responsefrom prospective bidders has been promising.Promoting cargo operationsThe cargo activities, at present, are much below the potentialavailable in the country. One of the steps contemplated is topromote cargo operations through public-private partnership atnon-metro airports.Airport connectivityThe Ministry has also taken up the issue of improvingconnectivity to major airports and selected 12 airports in the firstphase. These are international airport at Mumbai and theproposed Navi Mumbai, IGI Airport at Delhi and the proposedGreater Noida airport at Jawar, Chennai airport, Bangaloreairport, Kolkata airport, Hyderabad airport, Ahmedabad airport,Cochin airport, Coimbatore airport and Jaipur airport.The Ministry has firmed up various connectivity plans for 4 of theabove airports and is working on similar proposals for theremaining airports.indiaBUDGET200829