International Greenfield Airport near Dholera SIR

Greenfield International Airport near Dholera:

Government of India has planned for establishing Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) between Delhi and Mumbai. About 38 % of the DFC is passing through Gujarat and a corridor of 150 km on both sides of the DFC is to be developed as Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). This includes two Investment Regions and four Industrial Areas. As envisaged by Government of India, these nodes are to be developed as global hubs of manufacturing and commercial activities. Out of the six locations, state has identified Ahmedabad-Dholera belt as the location for Special Investment Region (SIR). Dholera SIR is proposed to be developed in a usable area of 360 kms and would be located at a distance approximately 100 kms from Ahmedabad and DFC is passing through this area. State has worked out the strategy of development of SIR with formation of company, legal frame work etc.

Need of an International Airport

The existing airport of Ahmedabad has emerged as one with highest annual growth in traffic and will get saturated much before the year 2020. The expansion of Ahmedabad airport is difficult due to various reasons. Under the circumstances, a new international airport is required to cater the future traffic.

While assessing the potential and requirements of the Dholera SIR, Government envisaged a tremendous need for a Greenfield International Airport in its vicinity. The level of economic activities in the SIR backed by enormous domestic and foreign investment shall need a world class modern International Airport in this region. Therefore state has included the development of an International Airport in the list of “Early Bird Projects” in consultation with Department of Industrial Promotion and Policy.

Location of the Airport

The state Government identified the location for the proposed Airport and has earmarked the land. A parcel of Government land measuring approximately 1700 hectors has been reserved in the triangle of village Pachham-Valinda-Pipli of Taluka Dhandhuka Dist Ahmedabad in the name of Gujarat Industrial Corridor Company Ltd (GICC), which would work as a project development agency for DMIC. The site is about 80 kms from Ahmedabad and around 20 kms from Dholera SIR. In addition to the SIR and Ahmedabad city, this location is also ideally placed vis-à-vis the cities like Nadiyad, Bhavnagar, Vadodara and Rajkot.

GIDB has initiated the process for obtaining approvals from Government of India according to procedure laid down in latest Greenfield Airport Policy. They include:

Project

The project involves all activities related to project development i.e. air side and city side infrastructure development. This includes land acquisitions, land development, passenger & cargo terminal, ATC, airfield lighting, fire station, electric substation, cargo facility, water treatment plant, car parking , hangers, cargo and passenger apron, taxiway, runway, administrative block ,isolation bay ,GSE storage and A.C plant, access internal roads, hotels and commercial development, night parking, basic repair and maintenance etc.

Implementation strategy

The project can be developed through Public Private Partnership through the Develop, Finance, Operate and Transfer principle. Government can enter into concession agreement with an SPV formed to develop the project. The private sector player forming the SPV can be selected through a transparent bidding process. Government can provide support in terms of land acquisition and environment clearance and ensure adequate land availability. Their revenue stream would be generated through aeronautical and non aeronautical facility usage charges.