Capacity at most Indian airports is set to saturate between the financial years ending 2028 and 2033. This is particularly true of the privately run airports at Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi. Among the state-run facilities – Pune is already operating above its design capacity, while Chennai and Kolkata are expected to breach saturation by 2032, indicating urgent need for secondary greenfield airports at these places.
With the clock ticking fast, airport operators are faced with the stumbling block of infrastructure growth in their otherwise thriving business. Indian airport operators are projected to report a revenue of Rs 32,390 crore ($3.9 billion) in the next fiscal year, marking a 26 per cent growth from the current year, according to aviation consultancy CAPA India. The domestic air passengers will go up to 320 million that year from the current tally of 275 million. Likewise, the count of international air travellers will rise to 75 million from 58 million.
Planning for capacity enhancement has to begin now, said CAPA India, looking at the projections for the Indian aviation industry.
As it stands, the country will open two airports by the close of 2024. “We are well underway with construction activities and the airport will be launched in the last quarter of 2024,” informed Christoph Schnellmann, Chief Executive Officer, Noida International Airport, adding that the airport will have a passenger capacity of 12 million in the first phase. The airport’s total capacity, after the fourth phase (or completion), will be 70 million.
“About 70 per cent of work is completed for Navi Mumbai airport and will complete Navi Mumbai airport’s first phase by 2024,” said Arun Bansal, CEO, Adani Airports Holdings Ltd. The airport will start operations in December 2024 with a capacity of 20 million passengers annually along with 0.8 million tonnes of cargo handling capacity.
On the twin airport strategy, he added, “We are working with airline partners to make Mumbai-Navi Mumbai airport into five terminals in one airport.”
Navi Mumbai airport will run on 100 per cent green energy and all vehicles on the airside will also run on green energy from day one, Bansal revealed. Schnellmann indicated likewise.
Adani Airports, which already operates seven airports, will be bidding for more. Bansal said the company would like to operate more airports and eventually become a leading airport operator in the world. In time, he predicted, about 30 cities in India will get dual airports.