Airport company claims nod for project

The steering committee on greenfield airports, chaired by the Civil Aviation Secretary, has given final approval for the proposed KGS Aranmula International Airport Limited at Aranmula, said Gigi George, managing director of the company, here on Friday.

In a statement here, Mr. George said a steering committee meeting in New Delhi on Friday gave a clear go-ahead for the airport and the project work would begin soon.

He said the proposed airport at Aranmula would be ready by December, 2014.

Secretaries of the Civil Aviation, Home, Defence, Economic Affairs, Revenue, Planning Commission, Director-General of the Indian Meteorological Department, Director-General of Civil Aviation, and the Chairman of the Airports Authority of India attended the steering committee meeting, said Mr. George.

He said Malaysian Airport Holdings Berhad (MAHB) would be the technical and strategic partner of the project. He said the MAHB had also agreed to provide operation and maintenance services.

Mr. George said AECOM, global provider of professional technical management support services, had prepared the master plan and design of the project and the London-based Ernst & Young, the traffic and financial analysis report.

The airport project, estimated to cost Rs.2,000 crore, would be ready for operations by December, 2014. He said the company had already obtained all necessary approvals required for the project.

‘Aeropolis’ planned

KGS Group is also planning to develop a modern ‘aeropolis’ attached to the airport in a special economic zone. The aeropolis will house a multi-specialty hospital, shopping mall, star hotels, and an international school, Mr. George said.

He said the company had purchased nearly 500 acres at Aranmula for the airport project and the government was likely to have a minority stake in the project.

Mr. George said the company opened its project office at Aranmula on Friday.