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Latest Information on
Mumbai International Airport Limited
A red carpet-like ambience will soon greet
every international traveller at the Sahar
terminal of Chhatrapati Shivaji
International Airport (CSIA), Mumbai. As
part of the long-term developments that are
programmed to make CSIA a global contender
on every front - airport operations,
technology, service, ambience... CSIA is
undergoing a gradual but complete revamp. It
is estimated that by 2012, India's busiest
airstrip, Sahar, will have a
state-of-the-art hub with a 40million
passenger flow per annum.
International Passenger Terminal
Amidst the rapid and strategically
phased-out work at the Sahar and Santacruz
terminals, the immediate improvement upfront
is the soon-to-be-completed refit of the
international passenger terminal at Sahar,
Andheri East. The proposed newlook of
Terminals 2B (now not in use) and 2C, is
prioritised as part of the ultimate 'Big
Picture'.
By building a brand and an airport at the
same time, the parent company GVK is working
towards establishing itself as a leader in
airport infrastructure. The entire process
of rehabilitation includes short-term and
long-term requirements that are being
sub-phased for overall convenience. Airport
facilities and infrastructure encompass a
tripartite developmental programme: airside
operations, landside operations and terminal
works. While the airside operations include
works on taxiways, aprons, runways,
air-traffic control and the like, landside
operations include everything that is
envisaged to convenience passenger flow,
airport entry and exit, including passenger
transit. Terminal work comprises the
architecture and interior design of the
passenger terminal buildings and all
involved infrastructure facilities. All
three components are extremely significant
and partake equally with the design,
planning and construction programmes.
The Way Ahead
According to immediate plans, Terminal 2A,
which is the most active terminal and hosts
majority of the airlines, will soon be
shutting operations completely and will
subsequently be demolished altogether. This
calls for a relocation of operations from
Terminal2A to Terminals 2B and 2C, to
service the growing number of international
passengers during the period in which a New
Common User Terminal is being constructed.
Facilitating the relocation of services are
extensive ongoing interior works in T
erminal2, landside works viz., constructing
a new multi-level car park and a single flow
entry-way; addition of three passenger
boarding gates and a new improved security
system among other things. There will be a
total of 17 to 24 aircraft passenger
boarding bridges to expedite smooth transit
and save time. The estimated annual capacity
of this facility is proposed at
approximately 12 million international
passengers.
Chhattapati Shivaji international Airport
(CSIA)
Summary Comparison
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Facilities Existing Planned |
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Area of Passenger Terminals
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Santacruz 64,000 m2 66,000 m2 |
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Sahar 94,000 m2** 4,20,000 m2 |
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Approx. Total: 2,00,000 m2 5,16,000 m2 |
Passenger Boarding Bridges
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Santacruz 5 gate houses/ 10 gate houses/ |
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6 bridges 11 bridges |
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Sahar 13 gate houses/ 30 gate houses/ |
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22 bridges 65 bridges |
Car Parking Spaces
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Santacruz 1,050 1,050 |
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Sahar 1,240 6,000 |
BIG PICTURE
CSIA's master plan addresses short and
long-term requirements for airport
infrastructure. To meet both requirements,
several enabling and interim projects are
underway, progressively phased out to
maintain operational continuity with no
disruption to passenger flow and comfort.
The result: a beautifully re-designed,
enhanced and rejuvenated air travel facility
that is bound to make the nation proud! All
this in just another five years.
Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T), has been mandated
with the task to build the new integrated
passenger terminal, and modernise and expand
the existing facilities, which will include
the airside and landside works on a turnkey
basis. A completely New Common User Terminal
building is envisaged to serve both
international and domestic passengers and
will eventually replace the existing
international T erminal2 at Sahar.
The new terminal is being constructed in a
fully operational airport and is thus being
developed in phases to maintain operational
continuity. Several enabling works have
begun in the second quarter of 2007 and the
first airside pier is expected to get
completed by March 2010. The planning and
development team has grown from four members
to a whopping 67 professionals in less than
ten months. MIAL is placing particular
emphasis on the training and skill
development of employees due to the unique
and demanding nature of the project. The
CSIA development project is distinctive
since it involves refurbishing the existing
airport, constructing a new integrated
terminal, conducting usual operations and
supporting passenger growth simultaneously.
There has never been an instance in India
where an airport has sustained exponential
passenger growth and complex operations
while simultaneously constructing a new
revolutionary, state-of-the-art airport
within the same space.
The New Common User Terminal is expected to
be completed by 20 12. The architectural
theme is based on the peacock, India's
national bird and shall provide for an
estimated capaciry of 40 million annual
passengers.
No Pain, No Gain
The construction which began in July 2007 is
expected to be complete by March 2008. As
one could expect, airport officials are
quite bogged down with complaints about the
inconvenience involved. But amidst periodic
apologies are candid requests; airport
authorities are beaming at the progress of
the programme developments and state - "No
pain, no gain!" Passengers can look forward
to improved check-in facilities, multiple
access gates to Terminals 2B and 2C as
against the existing single common entry and
two VIP entries; sophisticated signage that
orientat them better, quicker access to
airlines; enhanced public announcement and
information display systems; and a
consolidated security system. The
refurbished terminals will have
column-free, spacious expanses,
well-ventilated and equipped with adjunct
amenities.
Amidst the tussle between government
mandated projects and global standards that
override the functional aspect, Mumbai
International Airport Limited (MIAL) draws a
parallel by delving deeper into the psyche
of a satisfied flier. As part of the bigger
picture, the current modification and
expansion programme of the Sahar terminal
is part of a Mandatory Capital Project under
the Operation, Management and Development
Agreement (OMDA). MIAL is set to carry this
mandate further to meet its vision of
"creating a world-class airport
infrastructure and changing perceptions of
air travel in India forever."
Tell us about the vision to make CSIA a
world class airport.
As an airport, we have traits that are
better than 'world-class'! So the term
'world-class' is rather redundant. Mumbai is
a place where you can check out of
immigration, collect your baggage and be out
at your car in 25 minutes flat; where else
can you get out that quickly? You have staff
and efficiency working for you round the
clock. Now, with specific training and skill
development of employees due to the unique
and demanding nature of the project at hand,
things can only get better!
How is MIAL ensuring that the passenger
travel experience is maintained, considering
that passengers travelling via CSIA are
going to see plenty of changes?
There is a lot of inconvenience that is
bound to result out of shifting operations.
But then, with a task that involves a
massive revamp where we have to ensure
passenger comfort zones and operational
continuity despite dirt, grime and
construction work, this is bound to happen.
We are making efforts to ensure that with
the work being phased and prioritised,
passengers will soon enjoy the experience of
air travel and the little pain incurred will
be forgotten. After all, it is better to do
something and face a little inconvenience
than not do anything at all!
What are the biggest constraints and
challenges that the Projects team is facing?
Availability of land. The airport is
land-locked and trying to acquire land from
the encroachments would mean rehabilitating
a lot of people. Working within such
constraints is the biggest challenge. Also,
what we are trying to accomplish in five
years is what most airports would programme
in 25 years.
Construction on an active site has to take
place in sub-phases. Sub-phases are small
areas of construction blocked off to
passengers due to the safety hazards
present at construction sites. Construction
should take place at a rapid pace in these
sub-phases so the space can be cleared for
passenger use as soon as possible. Creating
these areas, conducting work on a tight
timeline and then demolishing the blockade
is an extremely taxing process and needs to
be done with utmost precision to avoid
increase in construction time and cost.
Plus, the organisation and planning that
goes into positioning sub-phases and
completing the construction in a timely
manner to avoid delays in operations at the
airport is an extremely challenging task.
Once the new terminal is completed, what can
the passengers look forward to?
Passengers can look forward to a whole host
of improved facilities: apart from better
sign age and a consequent better sense of
orientation, passengers will have check-ins
and advanced automated baggage handling
almost immediately at the entrance, so that
they are then free to leisurely browse
through duty free retail outfits until
departure. The aesthetics of the terminal
will be conducive to enhanced column-free
spaces and a good number of check-in and
consolidated security systems.
On the landside, there will be a
multi-storey car park and on the airside,
the upgradation proposes to reduce delays on
the ground.
Travel for transit passengers between
international and domestic flights will be
more convenient since they will not need to
shuffle between two terminals, as is the
case right now. The ambience of the new
integrated terminal will be modern and
friendly while also reflecting the culture
of India and the spirit of Mumbai.
Terminal Facilities in Numbers
- The planned functional areas and processing points on opening day in 2012:
- 100% swing gates to handle domestic or international traffic
- 163 check-in positions can handle domestic or international traffic
- 16 transfer baggage re-check-in positions.
- 4 terminal floor levels
- Separate arrival and departure passenger flows.
- Separate domestic and international passenger flow
- 56 inbound passport inspection positions and 38 outbound passport inspection positions
- 16 security lanes (international and domestic)
- Centralised baggage handling system
- Separate domestic and international baggage reclaim areas
- 8 Customs ‘green-channel’ inspection lanes: 14 Custom red-channel’ inspection lanes: 100% Customs inline-screening of International inbound registered baggage.
- Retail, food & beverage facilities of international standards
- Private vehicles, taxis and buses separated
- 6,000 passenger car parking places
- Provision for metro rail connection
Passage Perfect
Queues are history. International travellers
visiting India have much to cheer, thanks to
the Bureau of Immigration at CSIA ensuring
the fastest immigrations procedure.
Touchdown at the international terminal of
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA)
in Mumbai or take off to another
destination, what first greets the
traveller is the Immigration Department.
Immigration Officers, vigilantly stamp
passports, examine documents pertaining to
each nationality. Immigration handles the
checking of the passengers who come into
India and who leave the country.
Furthermore, with security being of utmost
concern for airports, the Immigration
Department has a crucial role to play.
Dinesh Joshi, Sr. Police Inspector, Bureau
of Immigration, CSIA, talks about what it
takes to run the complex immigration and
emigration procedures smoothly, with prime
attention to the security at the airport.
CSIA holds the record for the fastest
immigration service. Tell us about this.
It was a shot in the arm for us, when we
learnt that CSIA has been awarded the title
of being the 'Best in India'. In fact, the
reason Mumbai's immigration service was
selected over Delhi and other cities was
because of the overall score and feedback
generated from passengers and team members.
Immigration service scored the highest among
all the other services available at CSIA. We
feel good that immigration gave its due to
the airport in a way to make it the best in
the country.
Although it is the fastest, we also ensure
that it is not at the cost of the security.
We could achieve this recognition because of
the trained officers who can operate
efficiently, even when there is lot of
traffic. Additionally, I feel it is because
we have organised the counters so that
passenger clearance doesn't take a lot of
time. There may be one or two cases, where
we need to examine a passenger in detail.
Then, we take them aside and a separate team
interrogates them so that the counter is not
blocked. The entire credit goes to the
immigration officers at the counters.
What are the major challenges that the
department faces?
During induction, we rain officers to be
courteous to all passengers irrespective of
their nationality. We come across
passengers who are short tempered but our
officers handle them quite well. Most of the
time, the passengers are not aware of the
norms, and every country has its own set of
rules.
They feel that whatever is permitted in
their own country should be permitted here.
However, it is our constant endeavour to
strictly adhere to the law of the land and
respect the passengers' feelings about their
own country.
Immigration plays a coherent role in
ensuring the overall security... we are
among the few countries in the world to have
both emigration and immigration (an entry
check and an exit check). In the United
States or the United Kingdom, the airlines
conduct a check upon departure', and not the
government. Foreigners leaving India may not
be comfortable or conversant with Indian
laws. And these are challenging situations
where we have to convince them, that too in
a very short span of time. Therefore, the
officer in-charge has to take quick
decisions. Apart from the regular flights,
we have scheduled, non-scheduled charter
and cargo flights. All international flights
need to have an immigration clearance.
Moreover, when a cargo flight arrives, the
ground-handling staff gets the crew to the
immigration department for crew clearance.
Another challenge is the people who are a
threat to national security. We have to
ensure that they do not impersonate anyone
or enter/leave the country. Another is to
stop the people who deal in human
trafficking and illegal migrants. We face
bunching of flights quite regularly,
especially during the night. Therefore,
suddenly you have 400-600 passengers landing
in a span of ten minutes. The challenge here
is how to clear them fast in a smooth
manner.
What kind of training is imparted to
them?
Essentially, it is policing with a
hospitable attitude. It is an Indian
tradition to welcome our visitors and to
ensure that any foreigner coming to India
should feel at home. We have to equip
officers the ability to take quick
decisions. When the passenger is at a
counter, the counter officer has to examine
many things in a couple of minutes.
Sub-consciously he is crossing them over
with so many rules, circulars and laws of no
less than 150-170 nationalities using our
airport.
Every country has a different kind of
passport and visa, so the Immigration
Officer needs to be completely conversant
with their legal documents. Usually, we are
only aware of the countries whose travellers
come here frequently, but there are
countries whose citizens' movement in India
is not so frequent. Training deals with
document familiarisation of all countries,
apart from the rules, profiling a person,
scrutinise his body language and traits.
Crisis management plays a big role here.
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Working with security during peak hours
means that you have to be alert and vigilant
at all times, irrespective of whether it is
a crisis situation or not. At immigration,
you are in aversion mode, to avoid any kind
of crisis. We don't have an emergency
situation daily. We have to be vigilant with
every passenger on the aspect that his
documents are legal. We also have to ensure
that at all times the rules of the land are
followed, since we are the first gateway for
any person entering the country and the last
gate of exit . The way we behave with them
is the impression they are going to carry
forever.
Are there linguists for people from
different countries?
At the moment, it is not possible for us to
have a language expert in all the languages,
but we expect that the major airlines have a
language expert. However, in the case of
major countries, we have language experts.
Very shortly, we are planning to introduce
some more language experts to deal with the
passengers who are in queue.
What are the department's future plans?
To make our services better. The pace at
which the systems are changing, the
expectations of travellers have increased
manifold. For them we are still a part of
the airport and it is very important for us
to make their travel a good experience. Our
immediate plans are to man the new counters
that will come up at departure level.
How do you intend making the process more
passenger friendly?
A new thing that will be introduced is the
Advanced Passenger Information System
(APIS). Through this system as soon as a
flight takes off from a foreign country for
India, immediately we get the list of
passengers who are on board, so we can make
all the checks if at all required and when
they arrive here, it will go faster and
smoother.
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