23 firms express interest in Amritsar airport upgrade

Twenty-three consortiums have submitted expressions of interest (EoIs) for modernisation of the Rajasansi International Airport in Amritsar.

GMR Infrastructure Ltd, Anil Ambani-led Reliance Energy, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Fraport AG, DS Constructions Ltd, Unitech Ltd, Ansals Properties and Infrastructure Ltd and Singapore's Changi Airports are among them.

Modernisation of Amritsar airport is part of the upgrade process of 35 non-metro airports in the country by 2010. The government has invited EoIs as part of the first phase of the modernisation plan of the non-metro airports. Besides Amritsar, Udaipur airport is also being upgraded in the first phase.

Sources in the Airport Authority of India (AAI) said that the scope of the work includes maintenance of terminal building, development and operation of cargo facilities and city-side development of the airport. It is estimated that about 30 acre will be developed on city-side for commercial exploitation, car parking and other amenities.

The total number of flight at Amritsar's Rajasansi International Airport, the only international airport in Punjab, is about 65 per week. In the recent times the airport has emerged as an important origin and destination for natives of the state settled outside the country.

During the past few years there has been a tremendous growth in terms of passengers and flights from the airport. Seeing the vast potential, the AAI would be spending Rs 77-100 crore for expansion of the airport. The Punjab government has agreed to give 44 acre to the airport for expansion purpose.

According to expansion plans, the terminal of the airport will be extended from 14,000 sq metre to 40,000 sq metre, increasing its handling capacity to nearly 1,000 passengers at a time.

At present, the terminal can barely handle passengers. Also, there are plans to build 4 aero-bridges for passengers. The plan also includes extension of runway from 3, 259 metre to 3,658 metre. Four parking bases for aircraft are also included in this plan, which would take the number of these bases on the airport to nine.