GMR Airports unveils multi-phase expansion roadmap for Nagpur airport with Rs 300 cr investment

Nagpur, Jul 8 (PTI) GMR Airports Ltd on Wednesday unveiled an ambitious multi-phase modernisation and expansion roadmap for the Nagpur international airport, backed by an initial investment of Rs 300 crore to upgrade current infrastructure and eventually expand annual passenger capacity to 30 million. GMR Airports Ltd formally took over the operations of the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur last month for the upgradation work. GMR Group's Executive Director and Chief Innovation Officer S G K Kishore and CEO of the Nagpur Airport Shrikanth Bhandarkar addressed a press conference here on Wednesday, days after the company took over the airport's operations. Kishore said acquisition and development of the Nagpur airport significantly expands GMR Airports' presence in India's rapidly-growing aviation sector. The first phase of the development roadmap over the next eight years aims to enhance passenger experience, expand operational capacity and position Nagpur as a leading aviation and logistics gateway for Vidarbha and the wider region, he said. GMR Airports will undertake immediate upgrades at the existing airport with an initial investment of about Rs 300 crore, he said. The phased expansion envisages increasing passenger handling capacity from the current three million passengers per annum to 30 million passengers annually during the 30-year concession period, with potential to further enhance the capacity to 50 million passengers annually within the allocated land parcel, Kishore added. "Leveraging Nagpur's strategic location at the geographical centre of India and the larger MIHAN (Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur) ecosystem, the airport is also planned as a major cargo and logistics hub with a long-term cargo handling capacity of 150,000 metric tonnes per annum," he said. Out of the 1,000 hectares handed over to GMR Nagpur International Airport Limited (GNIAL), nearly 100 hectares have been earmarked for city-side development or Aerocity project, which is designed to integrate aviation, logistics, hospitality, and retail to turn the city into central India's premier aviation hub. Bhandarkar said under the Phase 1 of the project, the Nagpur airport will have immediate upgrades within 12 to 18 months, refurbishment of existing terminal and associated airside/landside facilities, additional check-in counters, self-check-in kiosks and several other initiatives. In Phase 2, the focus will be on capacity expansion and growth (years 3 to 4), which will include new integrated passenger terminal with an initial annual capacity of four million passengers and additional contact and remote aircraft stand, new cargo terminal with integrated processing capability (20,000 MT annual capacity), enhanced parking etc. The Phase 3 will focus on future readiness and Long-Term Infrastructure (years 5 to 8), which includes construction of a second runway, New Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower and technical building and additional infrastructure to support long-term growth and operational resilience. "Our vision for the Nagpur airport is to make it a future-ready, sustainable aviation hub that enhances connectivity. This expansion will be a step towards offering a smarter, seamless, and more comfortable travel experience, while reducing our environmental footprint and building resilient infrastructure for the future," Kishore said. PTI CLS NP