Karan Adani announces the Airport is equipped to handle 8 million passengers annually
Team Vo!: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a state of the art international airport in Lucknow. The T3 terminal that he inaugurated has been built at a cost of Rs 2400 crore and will cater to around 4000 passengers during peak hours.
This is the first phase of the airport. The phase II will enhance the capacity handling of this Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport to 13 million passengers every year.
Speaking at the inauguration function Karan Adani, Managing Director, Adani Ports Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd, said, “Our vision for CCSIA is big and far-reaching. The master plan aims to expand the airport’s capacity to ultimately serve 38 million passengers annually by 2047-48. This exponential growth is a cornerstone of our strategy to support Uttar Pradesh’s aspiration to become a one-trillion-dollar economy. We are not just building infrastructure – we are creating over 13,000 direct and indirect job opportunities, thus contributing significantly to the economic advancement of the region and the state.”
While 72 check-in counters (including 17 for self-baggage drop) and 62 immigration counters (27 emigration and 35 arrival immigration counters) will ensure swift and smooth transit of passengers, modern lounges will elevate their comfort at the terminal. A lot of traffic is expected in Lucknow keeping in mind the nearby Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
The newly constructed apron will increase the passenger boarding gates from 7 to 13 and passenger boarding bridges from 2 to 7. At present, the airport connects 24 domestic and 8 international destinations. The capacity augmentation will help in improving its operational efficiency substantially. T3 will also simplify travel with technologies such as DigiYatra, common use self-service kiosks, automated tray retrieval systems, and advanced baggage screening machines.
An out-of-the-world audio-visual experience has been brought to life at the airport with the art and architecture of Uttar Pradesh, starting from the entry gates to the skylight. The check-in counters will mesmerise passengers with famous Lucknowi motifs of ‘Chikankari’ and ‘Mukaish’ embroidery. Graphics on the frosting depict stories from epics, such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
The airport has several sustainability features and adequate deployment of recyclable materials. It will be a multi-modal travel hub with metro connectivity, intercity electric bus service, and app-based taxi services.
It must be noted that Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL) was incorporated in 2019 as a 100% subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Ltd, the flagship company of the Adani Group. In line with its vision to be the global leader in integrated infrastructure and transport logistics, the Adani Group made its maiden venture into the airports sector by emerging as the highest bidder for the operation, management and development of six airports: Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Mangalaru, Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram, and signing concession agreements with the Airport Authority of India for all six airports. AAHL also holds 74% in Mumbai International Airport Ltd, which in turn holds 74% in Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd. With eight airports in its management and development portfolio, AAHL is India’s largest airport infrastructure company, accounting for 23% of passenger footfalls and 30% of India’s air cargo traffic.
