World-class terminal opened at IGI Airport.
NEW DELHI:Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the swanky, world-class Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport here on Saturday, saying it signalled the arrival of new India, committed to joining the ranks of modern, industrialised nations.
Hailing the new terminal as exemplifying India's resolve to bridge fast the country's infrastructure deficit, he said T-3, built in just 37 months at a cost of Rs.10,000 crore, had established new global benchmarks.
Yet another reason for satisfaction, Dr. Singh said, was that it “proves the success of the public-private partnership model in the execution of a large infrastructure project.” Sprawled over 5.4 million square feet, the new terminal building is said to be the world's sixth largest. Though the new and modern airports in Bangalore and Hyderabad have already been opened, the Indira Gandhi International Airport dwarfs both.
While international operations from T-3 will begin on July 14, domestic operations will start on July 31.
Highlighting the need to rapidly improve the physical infrastructure, in which the country lagged, Dr. Singh hoped to see in future many successful projects, similar to the IGI Airport's terminal. “This will be in keeping with our ambition, our aspirations and our new-found confidence in recent years.”
Dr. Singh unveiled a plaque to mark the inauguration of the new terminal in the presence of United Progressive Alliance chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and G.M. Rao, chairman of the GMR Group, which led the international consortium that built the terminal.
No comments:
Post a Comment