New Delhi: The IGI and South Korea`s
premier air facility Incheon International Airport are now
`sister airports` allowing them to share technical, commercial
and environmental best practices.
In a first for IGI, a sister airport agreement was
signed by GMR Airports Holding Ltd (GAHL), which operates
Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport here and GHIAL in
Hyderabad, with the Incheon International Airport Corporation.
Kiran Kumar Grandhi, Chairman (Airports) GMR Group and
P S Nair, CEO (Corporate) GMR Airports signed the agreement
with C W Lee, President and CEO of Incheon Airport at Incheon.
Under the agreement, joint working groups would be
established to cooperate in areas like airport operations and
management, customer service, construction, planning,
operations, information technology and sustainable
development.
"The agreement encompasses establishment of joint
training programmes under the aegis of GMR Aviation Academy
and Incheon Airport Aviation Academy both accredited by ACI as
its global training hubs," an statement from GMR said.
Apart from this, Delhi International Airport Ltd
(DIAL) and IIAC also signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) for sharing of technical expertise to improve safety
under the Airport Excellence in Safety (APEX in Safety)
program of ACI.
It aims to enhance safety at IGIA and Incheon airports
through exchange expertise and best practices on airside
operations, planning and safety management, the statement
said.
"The objective of entering into `sister airport
agreement` is to build mutually cooperative and rewarding
relationships among progressive airports. We see it as a
stepping stone for the development of potential airports like
New Delhi`s IGI Airport as international air transport hubs.
It also helps expand air transport networks worldwide," said P
S Nair CEO (Corporate) GMR Airports.
The other airports across the globe that have entered
into such agreement are Chicago Department of Aviation with
international airports of Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and
Incheon.
Beijing Capital International Airport with Thailand
Public Company Limited, Hong Kong International Airport,
Athens International Airport, Singapore`s Changi Airport,
Aeroports de Paris, Vancouver International Airport, Japan`s
Narita International Airport, Sydney International Airport and
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
Airport Authority Hong Kong with Chicago Department of
Aviation establishing Hong Kong International Airport and
O`Hare International Airport as sister airports. Munich
Airport with Bangkok`s Suvarnabhumi Airport and others.
PTI
