TBM Staff - Mumbai Karan Adani, the Managing Director of Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd, has announced plans for transforming airports operated by the group in Ahmedabad and Lucknow into significant aviation hubs, offering direct flights to Europe and the US.
To achieve this vision, the Adani Group has committed to an investment of INR 60,000 crore over the coming decade. This investment aims to evolve its airports into major aviation gateways and bustling centers of commerce for locals.
Currently, the Adani Group manages seven airports across India, with an additional airport being developed in Navi Mumbai. These facilities collectively boast an annual capacity to handle between 100 and 110 million passengers. The group’s ambitious plan includes expanding this capacity by 2.5 to 3 times by the year 2040.
Over the next five years, the group has earmarked an investment of INR 30,000 crore specifically for the improvement of terminal facilities and airside operations at its airports. This investment plan comes on top of the INR 18,000 crore already funnelled into the initial phase of the Navi Mumbai airport’s development. “We are building a new terminal in Guwahati. We have a plan to build a new terminal in Ahmedabad. Early next year, the Navi Mumbai airport will start functioning and will have a capacity of 20 million passengers per year,” said Arun Bansal, CEO, Adani Airport Holdings after the inauguration of a newly integrated terminal at Lucknow.
Karan Adani said group-operated airports in Ahmedabad and Lucknow will eventually turn into aviation hubs with direct connectivity to Europe and the US. Now residents from Ahmedabad or Lucknow travel to Europe or US via West Asia, Delhi or Mumbai. “What we will see is that these airports will be connected directly to the destinations overseas,” Adani said. Additionally, the group plans to invest INR 30,000 crore in city-side developments at eight airports over ten years. These would include construction of hotels, multiplexes and other facilities. The group expects significant revenue upside from commercial development as aeronautical tariffs are regulated and expects commercial investments to materialise over ten years depending on various approvals.
