After constructing new airports in Delhi, Hyderabad and Istanbul, the GMR Group has expressed interest in expanding and modernising the airport at the holy city of Madina in Saudi Arabia.
"We have expressed our interest in developing the Madina airport and submitted a pre-qualification bid. For this project, we have tied up with our Turkish partner Limak," GMR Airports Chairman Kiran Grandhi told reporters a day ahead of the inauguration of the new integrated Terminal-3 of the IGI Airport here.
He, however, did not give details on the kind of investments the group was contemplating if they won the Saudi bid.
The GMR Group has already won the bid to develop the Male International Airport in Maldives at an estimated cost of USD 300 million. The project, which would be completed by 2014, involves building of a new terminal, expansion of runway and facilities for seaplane operations.
GMR Group was looking at more opportunities to take its expertise in airport infrastructure outside the country, its officials said.
The group is now eyeing new projects in the SAARC region, Western Africa and the Middle East, they said.
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With several major airport projects in GMR's kitty, Grandhi said, "We are now in the process of consolidation. We have built Hyderabad airport in 37 months, Delhi in 36 months and Istanbul in 17."
Work on a new Air Traffic Control building at IGI Airport would begin in the next six months and completed in 24 months thereafter, he said.
Regarding the retail space in the new Terminal-3, Grandhi said 98 per cent of the space has been allotted to major retail brands about a year ago.
Refusing to name the brands, he said the duty-free and domestic areas would have shops selling souvenirs, books, food and beverages and children's items. "It will be quite a mix."
The GMR Airports chief said the connect time from the airport gate to the aircraft would "match the time taken in Singapore or Dubai, if not better" and gave details of the facilities including walkalators and "convenient" connections from the Metro station or the drop-off point to the aircraft.
While the new terminal would be inaugurated tomorrow by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, the actual operations will begin from July 14.
"The first flight to arrive at this terminal will be Air India's AI-102 from New York and it will take off from here," he said.