Jets on the runway at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.
The latest news on airports globally, with updates on financing, infrastructure expansion and sustainability initiatives.
Private Indian airport management firm Adani Airport Holdings plans to build “airport cities” around six airports in India, most prominently Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) and Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI). NMI is the $2 billion airport that opened last year to complement BOM. Adani said the first phase of the program will cost more than $2.1 billion, with nearly 70% allotted to BOM and NMI. The remaining money will be invested in Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Jaipur and Lucknow airports. “The development encompasses a land bank of over 655 acres across six airports in five states, including nearly 440 acres in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai alone,” Adani said. “The developments are designed as integrated, walkable urban districts where travelers, businesses and local communities can access hotels, offices, retail, dining, entertainment and convention facilities within environments seamlessly integrated with airport, [local rail] and city transport infrastructure.” Adani added the airport city concept is based on “successful airport districts” at global hubs, including Amsterdam Schiphol, Singapore Changi and Seoul Incheon.
Lufthansa opened a new cargo center at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) after completing the €600 million ($683 million) project’s first phase. The freight facilities span approximately 80,000 m2 (861,110 ft.2). The airline said it is “renovating its entire Frankfurt cargo hub while maintaining 24/7 operations.” The center is scheduled to be fully finished by 2030. “At the core of the new infrastructure are intelligent material flow and conveyor systems that seamlessly connect all process steps, ensuring a significantly more efficient flow of goods,” Lufthansa said. “The facilities include a fully automated, 42-m-high high-bay warehouse with nearly 3,000 storage slots for large cargo pallets and a state-of-the-art automated pallet warehouse for temperature-sensitive and specialized shipments. The high-bay warehouse alone will enable more than 300 storage and retrieval operations per hour, doubling capacity.”
Grand Rapids Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) in Michigan will open a new $156 million rental car center on July 8. The facility “places all rental car operations under one roof,” the airport said. “The spacious and modern customer service center will allow [passengers] seamless access to all rental car partners via a new climate-controlled sky bridge, while a quick-turn-around facility for the rental car operators brings vehicle cleaning and fueling operations directly on-site.”
Bristol Airport (BRS) in England unveiled plans for an airline MRO hangar. The proposed hangar is included in the planning application being considered by the surrounding North Somerset county, which must give its approval. BRS noted aircraft based at the airport currently need to fly to other airports for MRO work. The hangar would accommodate two aircraft simultaneously and be equipped with raised platforms, tools and test stands, BRS said. “It would mean aircraft requiring planned maintenance or repair would be able to remain on-site, reducing unnecessary flights to off-site facilities and creating highly skilled jobs in the local area," the airport added. BRS's planning application aims to increase capacity from 12 million annual passengers currently to 15 million by the late 2030s.
Adelaide Airport (ADL) in Australia broke ground on the next phase of its freight and logistics precinct. The project to develop the airport’s cargo facilities has a price tag of A$250 million ($172 million). “Adelaide Airport is progressing the design of new purpose-built airfreight facilities for key partners, including Menzies Aviation, Airway and dnata,” ADL said. “The new expanded facilities build on the presence of established logistics operators within [the cargo precinct], including FedEx and DHL, and position the precinct to support record growth in high-value airfreight as Adelaide Airport’s route network continues to expand.”
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