Hyderabad's newly-inaugurated Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad commenced commercial operations from 0025 hours on Sunday (March 23).
The first commercial flight -- Lufthansa flight LH 752 from Frankfurt -- landed exactly at 0025 hours. About 250 passengers arrived by the 8-hour flight from Germany. The same aircraft was the first departure from RGIA at 0220 hours the same day.
Despite inclement weather with a heavy downpour lashing the city and environs, the first flight landed without any hitch. GMR Group chairman G M Rao, GHIAL managing director Kiran K Grandhi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary P Ramakanth Reddy, Hyderabad City Police Commissioner B Prasada Rao, Cyberabad Police Commissioner S Prabhakar Reddy and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
The crew members and the dignitaries were presented commemorative coins.
Promoted by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited, a joint venture of GMR Group, Airports Authority of India, Government of Andhra Pradesh and Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad, the new world-class Rs 2,478-crore airport is expected to handle 8.4 million passengers in the first year of operations, 2008-09.