Greater Noida airport project faces hurdle

New Delhi: The proposed Greater Noida airport may hit an air pocket with the finance ministry questioning the need for the Rs 3,505-crore project and asking why can't the existing IGI airport in Delhi be developed fully to meet the NCR's demand.
The IGI airport was privatised last year and a Rs 8,900-crore modernisation plan is already going on. The finance ministry's comment came when the aviation ministry circulated Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati's dream project report before an inter-ministerial group and will now send the same along with all comments to the Cabinet for discussion this week.
However, accepting the fact that all big cities like Delhi need more than one airport, the finance ministry has also asked the aviation ministry whether the developers of Taj International Aviation Hub (TIAH, name of Noida airport) and IGI would get a level-playing field or not.
The GMR group-backed Delhi International Airport (DIAL) has asked the aviation ministry to ensure that the developers of Greater Noida airport — for which the group will bid and enjoy the first right of refusal — should have the same conditions as DIAL. The Noida project site is just 72 km away from IGI Airport and DIAL has told the ministry that it is developing IGI, which would be sufficient for Delhi's demand for many years.
15/10/07 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Oct 2007, New Oct 2007