Hyderabad: Four months after it resumed operations, the growth of Hyderabad’s RGIA has hit the fast lane. Apart from domestic passenger footfalls scaling up to 50% of its pre-Covid numbers — it has touched 20,000 to 25,000 per day — and daily air traffic movements increasing from 40 in May to around 200 now, the commercial footprint of the facility too has expanded significantly.
At least five new outlets — two retail and three food joints — have opened up within the RGIA over past few months including popular brands. Not surprisingly, aviation experts say that the Hyderabad airport is among the fastest growing facilities in India, only behind Delhi.
Currently, the city airport has 80 retail stores and 53 food and beverage counters. “Among the most sought after items are electronics, cosmetics, perfumes and skincare, apparels, packaged food, footwear etc,” said a spokesperson of the GMR-run airport that’s equipped all stores with UV Ovens to sanitise products that are bought. Admitting that business is slowly but steadily picking up, Sunil Mantri, CEO of WHSmith— a leading travel retail brand — said that added focus on making every touch point contact-less and worked in Hyderabad’s favour, post Covid. In fact, existing outlets say the upcoming festive season will see a further jump in business. “Passengers who visited our store in Hyderabad have assured to come back to purchase more in the festive season...the safety protocols put in place have been appreciated,” said Devender Kumar, partner, Krishna Pearls And Jewellers.
08/10/20 Sudip Sengupta/Times of India
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