GMR unveils plans to develop Nagpur Airport

Hyderabad: As part of the plan, Delhi-based GMR Group, which currently runs Delhi and Hyderabad International Airports, is looking to develop Nagpur's Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in a phased manner with an ultimate capacity of around 30 million passengers annually, representing a capacity increase of over 1,000 per cent over the coming years, a release said.

The existing facilities at Nagpur Airport have been operating close to the maximum capacity, it said. The airport handled a total of about 3 million passengers and 9,500 metric tonnes of cargo in FY20, as per GMR. Besides running Delhi and Hyderabad airports, GMR is also constructing greenfield airports in Goa and Bhogapuram in Andhra Pradesh.

In October 2018, the group emerged as the highest bidder for development, operation and management of Nagpur International Airport on a public private partnership (PPP) basis in the tender process conducted by MIHAN India Ltd. Subsequently, the letter of award (LoA) was issued to GMR in March 2019. However, Maharashtra government decided to cancel the tender process in March 2020 with MIHAN issuing a letter, annulling the bid process.

It was challenged by the GMR in Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court, which on August 18 quashed the March 2020 communication, calling it "arbitrary and unfair". "Consequent to the ruling by the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court, GMR is pleased to take up the responsibility of developing and transforming Nagpur Airport into a world-class facility," GMR said in a release on Friday.