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The buzz around the Hyderabad International Airport is growing — and is likely to get louder as more airlines move to the southern city to use the airport as their hub. Besides benefits for airlines and the airport, this will also mean more domestic and international flights, and greater connectivity for flyers.
In January this year, IndiGo started its ATR operations from Rajahmundry to Hyderabad with a two-times-a-day flight and one-direct frequency each on the Rajahmundry–Bengaluru–Rajahmundry and Rajahmundry–Chennai–Rajahmundry sectors. In June, the airline added Tuticorin to its network when it announced that with its 10th ATR aircraft it will operate three daily non-stop flights between Chennai and Tuticorin.
“Just like Hubli, Tuticorin is a key market for IndiGo and is fast gaining prominence as a crucial industrial hub. With rising business and tourism stemming from the southern cities, IndiGo is determined to provide the best travel experience to all those who wish to fly to these destinations,” Sanjay Kumar, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo, had said. (Sanjay Kumar will leave IndiGo on July 15, the airline announced on Monday)
Following IndiGo’s footsteps, SpiceJet is planning to add both Boeing and Q400 aircraft to its base in Hyderabad. In March, SpiceJet had two Boeing and six Q400 Bombardier aircraft and the airline then felt that there was quite a bit of scope to increase these numbers.
The airport also features in AirAsia’s expansion plans. Amar Abrol, the former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Air Asia, told BusinessLine recently that the airline is considering making Hyderabad another hub sometime next year to add to its existing bases at Delhi and Mumbai. AirAsia is also looking to expand its domestic operations and possibly provide overseas connectivity from Hyderabad.
At the moment, on an average, GMR Hyderabad International Airport handles 480 + flights daily. As per the Airports Authority of India’s (AAI) statistics for FY2017-18, Hyderabad International Airport is ranked 6th in passenger traffic and 5th in air traffic movements. The airport has an ultimate capacity to handle 80 million passengers per annum with more than 5 lakh air traffic movements per year.
There are various reasons why Hyderabad is emerging as the new hub for airlines, the most important of which is the lower air turbine fuel (ATF) prices being offered by the Telangana government. In March this year, during a function to mark 10 years of the GMR Hyderabad Airport, the Telangana Industries and IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao announced that the State will slash Value Added Tax on ATF to 1 per cent, from 16 per cent.
26/06/18 V Rishi Kumar/Ashwini Phadnis/Business Line
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