Traffic projections will decide Maya airport fate

New Delhi: A realistic traffic projection alone will decide whether UP CM Mayawati's dream Greater Noida airport takes off in near future or not. The group of lawyers-cum-ministers, headed by home minister P Chidambaram, held its first meeting here on Tuesday and found the gap between the traffic projections of UP government and GMR-led Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd (DIAL) too wide to arrive at any decision.
"The GoM felt there was a lot of difference in the projections submitted by the state government and DIAL. Realistic figures are needed. These projections will now be examined by the aviation ministry and Airports Authority of India (AAI) and expert opinion sought...The study of traffic figures will take about three months and we will come back to the GoM after that,'' aviation minister Praful Patel, who's part of this GoM, told reporters.
While clearing this airport will essentially be a political decision, dictated by the relations between the Congress and Mayawati, the UP government justified the need for Delhi's second airport in Greater Noida through its consultant, L&T Ramboll's report that estimates the NCR to have 100 million people flying per annum much before 2021. DIAL, which is developing IGI on the basis of an NCR traffic study done by UK-based Mott McDonald, estimates the 100-million mark to be breached only after 2032.
25/08/10 Times of India

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Categories: airports aug 2010, New Aug 2010