India’s new Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) at Shamshabad began its commercial operations on 16 March with the morning landing of a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt. The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is the country’s first greenfield airport developed under the public-private partnership initiative.

Being India’s newest airport, it has a capacity of 12 million passengers per year and features the country’s first A380 capable; Code F runway which is 4.26 kmlong and presently the longest runway in South Asia.

The greenfield airport is spread over 5,400 acres and was developed by GMRHIAL (Hyderabad International Airport Ltd) – a consortium comprising GMR Infrastructure Ltd which holds a 63 per cent stake, Malaysian Airports Holding Berhad (MAHB) with 11 per cent, Airports Authority of India (AAI) which along with the Government of Andhra Pradesh each hold 13 per cent.

The airport currently serves nine domestic carriers, 12 international with another three new carriers before year-end. On the cargo side the airport is served by Blue Dart Aviation, DHL, FEDEX and from October 2008 British Airways World Cargo from London-Heathrow.

Speaking at the opening, GM Rao, chairman of the GMR Group said: “Airports today are considered to be the engines to drive the economic growth of a nation and generates employment. This airport will create half a million direct and indirect jobs and will be a major contributorto the development of the State.”