DIAL roaps in British MNC NATS for aircraft handling

NEW DELHI: DIAL, which operates the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has engaged UK’S leading provider of air traffic management consulting services, NATS to identify procedures and air space enhancements to maximise the aircraft handling capacity of its aerodrome.

NATS would collaborate with the Airports Authority of India (AA) and air navigation staff to achieve to achieve this objective, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said in Lok Sabha on Thursday.

Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd (DIAL) is a joint venture company, comprising a consortium-led by Bangalore headquartered infrastructure major GMR Group and national airports operator, AAI.

“This engagement has recently commenced and is a multi-phased project which will be completed over the next 12-months,” Sinha said in a written reply.

The Minister also said the revised Master Plan for IGI airport has been finalised, which has proposed further development of landside, terminals and airside facilities to correspond to the projected traffic growth in next 20 years.

“It also proposes expansion of passenger handling capacity of IGI Airport from the existing 62 million passengers per annum (MPPA) to 109.3 million MPPA in a phased manner,” he said.

Replying to a question whether government proposes to take any steps to avoid congested shopping clusters at the airport which creates many hardships to passengers, the Minister said on as per OMDA signed between AAI and DIAL, the airport operator have to follow IATA Airport Development Reference Manual with regard to design of airport facilities.

“...IATA Manual sets out the parameters for usage of space and provides that at some larger airports up to 20 per cent of the terminal area can be dedicated to airport shops,” Sinha said.

There is, however, no specific formula for organising concessions within an airport terminal as the concession mix depends upon the passenger profile and their anticipated spending preferences, thus varies at each airport, he said.

The space allotted for various commercial activities at the IGI airport is in line with Schedule 1 of Operation Management and Development Agreement (OMDA), the Minister added.