Tag: GMR

MVK to protest against GMR following eviction of Alpha MVKB duty free shop

MVK Maldives is organising a protest against airport developer GMR at 8:30pm on Thursday evening in Male’, following the eviction of the company’s duty free shop from Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA).

“We are just demonstrating our opinions and dislike of what GMR has done to us and to get public responses,” said MVK CEO Ibrahim Shafeeq.

The protest comes after the High Court upheld an earlier Civil Court ruling that GMR’s termination of its contract with Alpha MVKB Duty-Free was lawful.

The High Court noted that GMR gave notice on March 1 and, as per the agreement, the contract terminated on March 31. As no party could extend the termination notice, the court concluded that MVK had no right to remain at the airport without approval from GMR. Alpha MVKB was originally leased for 10 years under an agreement between MVK and Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), with a one month termination clause, the court noted.

On December 4, GMR officials began dismantling a temporary wall outside the Alpha shop and packing up the shop’s contents. Customs officials intervened to oversee the management of the shop goods, which included alcohol products.

Shafeeq claimed that GMR’s actions were “unprofessional”, and he further demanded an apology from Minivan News claiming that its coverage of GMR’s eviction of Alpha MVKB had damaged his reputation.

“What GMR has done is without my permission and without consultation of Customs. They broke into our premises and were stealing our goods and we don’t know where they are now,” he alleged.

“They ransacked the place, we don’t know what they did with the goods, they are under Customs’ purview. We don’t know where the goods are.”

Asked what he hoped to achieve at tomorrow’s protest, Shafeeq replied “Achieve? To get the public opinion on whether we are right, or they are wrong.”

A petition is currently being circulated to register public support for MVK’s cause. The Alpha shop’s General Manager Ahmed Nazim told Haveeru that 30 such papers have been set up outside the MVK office at the Carnival area.

MVK was reported in Haveeru as having provided financial backing to the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). Shafeeq confirmed the relationship, but said that the planned protest had no political connotations.

“This is nothing to do with any political party. It’s just with MVK employees and the people who are with MVK, who like us, and will sign a petition.”

MVK currently employs “close to 500 employees in Addu, Fuvahmulah, and Male’,” Shafeeq said.

“We are the major supplier for the Maldives hotel industry,” he claimed, adding that the company did not have plans to open another shop.

Pick up trucks with loudspeakers circled Male’ today calling on aiport employees and their families to join the protest.

GMR said the protest would not impact airport operations.

“We are continuing with business as usual, we have an airport to run and cannot stop our operations for this protest,” a spokesperson said.

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High Court rules against Alpha MVKB duty free shop

The High Court today backed the Civil Court ruling that GMR’s decision to terminate its contract with Alpha MVKB duty free shop at the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport in March was valid, and that MVK’s request to extend the notice until December 31 violated its contract with GMR.

According to the ruling, GMR had vacated the Alpha MVKB Duty Free Shop at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) legally and according to the agreement between both companies.

The High Court noted that GMR gave notice on March 1 and, as per the agreement, the contract terminated on March 31. As no party could extend the termination notice, the court concluded that MVK had no right to remain at the airport without approval from GMR.

Alpha MVKB was leased for 10 years under an agreement between MVK and Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL). The agreement requires the party wishing to terminate the agreement to give a one-month notice; the High Court stressed that both parties had that right.

The High Court also denied MVK’s request for a temporary order allowing them to run the duty free shop through December 31 on the basis that the case had been closed.

Airport shops contracted under Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) were allowed to remain in operation for one year after GMR took over airport management. As per the MACL contracts, all shop contracts will terminate on December 31 of this year.

GMR said it has given the required 90-day notice to all shops except Spice Island, which will remain in service. Plans for new shops are unclear, however GMR has said it welcomes any company offering a product appealing to locals and foreigners alike.

Minivan News made repeated calls to Alpha MVKB Managing Director Ibrahim Shafeeq, MVK  and Alpha MVKB offices, but had received no response at time of press.

GMR officials today said they could not issue a comment on the case until they received an official notice of the ruling.

Earlier this month, Customs officials intervened when GMR officials began dismantling a temporary wall outside of the Alpha shop and packing up goods.

“Duty-free goods are Customs’ responsibility, and we will be involved in the process of opening or closing duty-free shops,” said Customs Director Ismail Nashid. “As for the goods involved, there are several options for the shop owner to choose from including importing the stock to the Maldives or selling it internationally.”

GMR officials earlier said that action was taken against the shop after several notices for evacuation had been ignored, thereby complicating the airport renovation schedule.

The airport renovation is the single largest foreign investment in the Maldives at US$400 million. GMR is upgrading the old terminal ahead of completing construction of the new terminal in 2014, and will operate the airport for 25 years under a concession agreement signed last year with the government.

GMR has faced repeated legislative battles since it entered the contractual agreement.

Opposition Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) earlier filed a case challenging GMR’s right to collect a US$25 (Rf385.5) Airport Development Charge (ADC) and US$2 (Rf30.8) Insurance Charge commencing January 2012. The DQP had claimed that a pre-existing Airport Service Charge (ASC) of US$18 (Rf277.56) invalidates the ADC.

The Civil Court ruled against GMR on December 8 on the grounds that a clause in the concession agreement with GMR violated the Airport Service Charges Act of 1978, which was amended in 2009 to raise the charge to US$18 for foreign passengers and US$12 for Maldivians above two years of age.

The government has said it will likely appeal the lower court’s ruling, given its contractual obligation to GMR.

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GMR shares dip on back of Civil Court ruling against airport development charge

GMR shares on the Mumbai stock exchange fell 7.57 percent on Thursday on the back of a Civil Court ruling in the Maldives against its proposed US$25 Airport Development Charge (ADC), India’s Economic Times reported.

The paper earlier reported that the share slip had taken the company to a 52-week low, and that that the decision could leave the airport development project facing an annual funding shortage of US$25 million.

GMR said yesterday that it had yet to receive a copy of the Civil Court’s judgement and was only aware of the ruling through media reports.

“We are yet to receive the copy of the judgment and as such we are not in a position to evaluate the implications of the ruling,” the company said in a statement.

“GMR has been permitted to collect ADC and Insurance charge under the Concession Agreement signed between GMR-MAHB, Maldives Airport Company Limited (MACL) and The Republic of Maldives (acting by and through its Ministry of Finance and Treasury), and as such has set up processes for ADC collection from 1st January 2012 supported by an information campaign to ensure adequate awareness,” the company said.

“The bid for the Concession to manage, develop and operate Ibrahim Nasir International Airport for 25 years was conducted by the [World Bank’s] International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the component of ADC was part of the bid. GMR is confident that Government of Maldives will take such measures as would be necessary to honour its contractual obligation in this regard, given that the success of the development of the airport project is of national economic importance.”

The company noted that the payment of a development fee was “a common concept in many airports globally”, particularly as a part of concession agreements where airports are privatised.

“The reason for the inclusion of ADC in many global concession agreements is to address the funding needs to meet the investment model required to upgrade and develop new airport facilities at significant costs,” GMR stated.

The Civil Court ruled that the clause in the concession agreement with GMR violated the Airport Service Charges Act of 1978, which was amended in 2009 to raise the charge to US$18 for foreign passengers and US$12 for Maldivians above two years of age.

Judge Ali Rasheed Hussein ruled that the Airport Development Charge and insurance charge were service charges “under other names.”

He noted that the Airport Service Charges Act had been amended seven times to raise the charges since 1978 by the legislature, “based on the economic circumstances of the Maldives and the means of the public,” which showed that the purpose of the law was to ensure that enforcement agencies did not have the authority to raise the charges.

The suit was filed by the opposition-aligned Dhivehi Quamee Party (DQP), led by former Attorney General, Dr Hassan Saeed.

President Mohamed Nasheed’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair said he believed the government was obliged to appeal the lower court ruling to in order to comply with the terms of the concession agreement.

GMR’s 25 year concession agreement to construct and manage a new US$400 million terminal (to be competed in 2014) is the single largest foreign investment in the history of the Maldives.

The strength of the IFC-monitored bid by the GMR-Malaysian Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), split 77:23 percent respectively, came from its US$78 million upfront payment (compared with US$27 million from the second-highest bidder) and in particular, its 27 percent sharing of fuel revenue (from 2014).

At the time, the government anticipated that 60 percent of government revenue from the airport deal would derive from fuel – US$74.25 million annually between 2015-2020, increasing to US$128.7 a year from 2025-2035. This in turn was the most significant element of the final ‘net-present-value’ calculations to determine the winning bid.

A briefing document obtained by Minivan News following GMR’s successful bid in June 2010 contained forecasts of the government’s expected earnings from the airport over the lifespan of the contract. It revealed that a majority of the predicted revenue, a major factor in calculating the NPV (net present value) used to determine the successful bid, derived from the 27 percent fuel revenue share once the airport is completed in 2014:

  • 2015-2020: 12.8m gross + 74.25m fuel = US$87.05m per year
  • 2020-2025- 17.02m gross + 90.99m fuel = US$108.01m per year
  • 2025-2035 – 20.43 gross + 108.27m fuel = US$128.7 m per year

The document contrasted this with the dividends paid to the government by MACL over the last three years, noting that the majority of the dividends paid in 2008-2009 were achieved “by taking a loan.” Dividends in 2007 were 2.3 million, 13.3 million in 2008, and 5.05 million in 2009.

On the suggestion that MACL should be allowed to raise finance and invest in the upgrade itself, a predicted US$300-400 million, the document noted that MACL “already has debts of Rf 600 million (US$46.69 million)” and would be unable to obtain further leverage “without a sovereign guarantee – simply not allowed due to the IMF measures.”

At the same time, GMR’s bid offered a significantly lower 10 percent share of gross airport revenue, as compared to the other two bids.

The only historic figures available to the government in estimating this revenue (a staid US$20.43 million by 2025-2035) were derived from the existing commercial revenue from the airport – usage fees, ground handling charges, duty free shop rents, and so forth.

Compared to the glittering Gucci-lined corridors of airports in tourist hubs such as Dubai, the airport’s 4-5 departure lounge shops and dilapidated eateries – some serving pot noodle – were a missed opportunity, given the bulging wallet of the average visitor to the Maldives.

Speaking at the opening of GMR’s cavernous Delhi Terminal 3, GMR Manager P Sripathi told Minivan News that the consortium was very interested in the well-heeled concourse traffic in the Maldives – sufficiently interested to invest a sum equal to almost half the country’s stated GDP at the time.

“It’s a lovely project. The type of tourists coming are from the very high-end tourism market, therefore the business opportunities are plenty,” Sripathi said at the time.

Minivan News reported in June 2010 that some of the investment was to be recovered through a US$25 airport development charge, set by the government for all bidders to be levied only on international travellers at time of departure and added to ticket prices.

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Civil Court rules airport development charge invalid as GMR opens airline office complex

GMR today opened a new Airline Office Complex beneath the International Terminal in a step towards consolidating check-in and security procedures for passengers.

The Civil Court has meanwhile ruled against GMR in a case filed by the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), challenging its right to collect a US$25 (Rf385.5) Airport Development Charge (ADC) and US$2 (Rf30.8) Insurance Charge commencing January 2012. The DQP had claimed that a pre-existing Airport Service Charge (ASC) of US$18 (Rf277.56) invalidates the ADC. The legal dispute with DQP could cost GMR Infrastructure US$25 million annually, India’s The Economic Times estimated.

The Civil Court today ruled that the clause in the concession agreement with GMR violated the Airport Service Charges Act of 1978, which was amended in 2009 to raise the charge to US$18 for foreign passengers and US$12 for Maldivians above two years of age.

Judge Ali Rasheed Hussein ruled that the Airport Development Charge and insurance charge were service charges “under other names.”

He noted that the Airport Service Charges Act had been amended seven times to raise the charges since 1978 by the legislature, “based on the economic circumstances of the Maldives and the means of the public,” which showed that the purpose of the law was to ensure that enforcement agencies did not have the authority to raise the charges.

President Mohamed Nasheed’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair said the government would likely appeal the lower court’s ruling given its contractual obligation to GMR.

“The government will do everything it can to adhere to the concession agreement,” he said.

GMR has not yet issued a formal response following the Civil Court ruling. However speaking today prior to the ruling, INIA CEO Andrew Harrison told Minivan News that GMR was “delighted to be subject to scrutiny, and will stand up to it.” He said the company was confident in its concession agreement with the government.

Harrison called the allegations and public criticism of GMR “unfair.”

“A lot has been done here,” he said, pointing to the number of renovations completed in the past six months. “I think you can see that locals and tourists are now getting the upgraded facilities befitting an airport like INIA.”

Harrison added that the next six months will see five new food and beverage facilities in international, domestic and land-side areas; a plaza for tourist arrivals; six new air service buses; and the beginning of a new terminal. “Many of these improvements go well beyond the concessionary agreement we have with the government,” said Harrison.

“It’s important to align the airport with passenger expectations, whether their destination is a resort or the warm welcome of a Maldivian home.”

At an event earlier today the company unveiled 30 new airline offices on the first floor next to Immigration.

“The old offices were small and since they were on the first floor rather than the ground floor, they were harder to access for passengers,” noted Harrison.

Airline personnel now have direct access to check-in counters from “some of the best offices in Male'”, situated along a bright white corridor.

The complex hosts four carriers with approximately five airlines per carrier; a few spaces have been left available for additional airline partners, such as Air France and AlItalia, which are expected to begin service to the Maldives in the next few months.

Harrison pointed out that the real reason for building a new complex was to centralise security check-points. Currently, security check points are located at gates one through three, and four through six. Passengers often face a queue, and are consequently more stressed about making their flights, Harrison explained.

“Now, that space is freed for all security check-point equipment to be located right next to Immigration, making passenger traffic smoother and allowing for more time in the airport terminal rather than in queues,” he said.

Harrison added that situating Immigration and Security offices in close proximity was a standard feature of international airports.

GMR is currently overseeing the renovation of INIA, as per a contract with the Maldivian government. In the past six months it has upgraded two lounges and expanded baggage beltways; it is currently adding eight check-in counters and two security lanes. Tourism Minister Maryam Zulfa previously expressed satisfaction with GMR as “an example for the Maldives as it moves forward.”

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new terminal will be held later this month – the structure is due for completion in 2014.

Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) today announced that the lease agreement between GMR and the government allows for a 10-year extension from the initial 25 year time frame, pending the agreement of both parties.

GMR began circulating the Airport Source Quality program survey in October to evaluate INIA’s ranking among 34 airports in the two to five million passenger category. The airport initially ranked 33rd, but Harrison said improvements are visible.

“In December alone it has already moved up three airports. By the time the new airport opens, we are convinced that INIA will be number one in the two to five million [passenger] category,” he said.

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Burst tire forces emergency landing at airport

An Emirates flight made an emergency landing at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) on Friday, December 2 and sustained damages to two tyres. No passengers and crew were injured.

The Emirates flight EK635 was en route from Colombo to Dubai when it landed in Male’ at 10:35 pm on Friday. It had suffered the deflation of two tyres in its left main landing apparatus.

A spokesperson for INIA said pilots are trained for such situations, and the plane was brought to a safe stop on the INIA runway.

An Emirates spokesperson stated that, “All passengers disembarked safely from the Boeing 777-300 aircraft and are currently being looked after by ground staff. Transit and onward passengers will be accommodated in hotels if necessary.”

The airport was closed until 4:20am on Saturday, December 3 while the issue resolved. Only small aircraft with prior approval were allowed to depart during that time.

“The aircraft is currently being assessed by engineers and will be towed from the runway as soon as possible. Emirates apologise for any inconvenience caused. The safety of our passengers and crew is always of paramount importance,” read the statement from Emirates.

The Dubai-based airline launched daily flights between Colombo and Male’ in August this year, raising service to 19 flights per week. It has been flying to the Maldives since 1987.

Along with Sri Lankan airlines, it is one of the most active international carriers in the country.

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DQP files case against GMR, MPs critique scheme

Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) today submitted a case to the Civil Court against infrastructure development company GMR Male International Airport Pvt Ltd, challenging its right to collect a US$25 (Rf385.5) Airport Development Charge (ADC) and US$2 (Rf30.8) Insurance Charge commencing January 2012.

The fees are to be charged to internationally-bound passengers only. As of 4:00pm on Tuesday the case had not yet been registered.

The government signed a 25-year contract with GMR on 28 June 2010. On 30 September 2010, four opposition parties filed a case against GMR at the Civil Court. The court registrar rejected the claim.

Under the contract the Maldivian government receives:

  • A sum of U$78 million as advance payment which is to be deducted from the profit due to Government.
  • 1% of the Gross Revenue in the first four years (2010-2014) and 10% of the Gross Revenue from the general business in the remaining years.
  • 15% of the Gross Fuel Sales in the first four years and 27% of the Gross Fuel Sales in the remaining years.
  • GMR is also to invest US$375 million over a period of 25 years.

The development fee is considered “standard procedure in most airports“, GMR officials earlier told Minivan News. GMR said it would have included the fee in the ticket price, but until International Air Transport Association (IATA) provided certain codes it would have to charge the fee separately.

DQP claims that GMR’s lease of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) was unconstitutional, illegal, and bore trademarks of corruption. It additionally claims that GMR’s contract would not have been approved if passed through official procedures.

DQP Secretary General Abdulla Ameen confirmed the case and directed Minivan News to the party website for further details. The web page’s last registered update was 29 November 2010.

“Article 97 of the Constitution prohibits any form of taxation without legislation,” reads on section. “Levy on departure passengers have always been done through legislation, including amendments thereof. In fact the current levy of USD18 for foreigners and USD14 for locals was introduced by the present government through amendments to the relevant law.

“However, the right to levy a US$25 and a US$2 (a total of US$27) was given to GMR by the Government without the passage of any law.”

DQP further claims that the government bypassed Parliament on the decision to lease INIA, thereby making GMR’s claim that it can collect the development and insurance fees is “null and void.”

State Transport Minister Adil Saleem previously informed Minivan News that the development fee had been approved by the government as part of its contract with GMR.

Immigration and customs authorities are said to support the move.

DQP told Haveeru that GMR had failed to develop INIA as per its agreement with the government, but is trying to charge customers extra fees on the pretext of airport development.

Speaking in Parliament today, Kulhudhuffushi-South MP Mohamed Nasheed said GMR is receiving all funds from airport handling.

GMR recently announced that baggage handling would be transferred from a local company to one chosen by GMR.

Nasheed said the agreement between the government and GMR was not a fair deal, and that losses incurred exceeds income earned.

“I want to highlight the fact that the US$990 charged from a [Boeing] 777 aircraft that lands during the day has been increased to US$2,985 while the fee collected from the aircraft that lands during the night has been raised to US$3,885. This is a 60-80 percent increase in charges but no improvements have been brought to the services provided by the airport,” he said.

“And we cannot accept the US$1.6 million rent charged per month from a small land plot which measures 800 square feet. Questions arise whether GMR is developing the airport by taking money from us Maldivians or whether they are developing the airport on their funds?”

Hoarafushi MP Ahmed Rasheed said, “While we are exaggerating a minor difficulty a small number of people have to bear for the sake of our nation, we don’t have anyone to speak about the development and advantages the people will be able to obtain from the most number of people who use the airport.”

In the past four months GMR has opened two lounges at INIA and expanded baggage beltways; it is currently adding eight check-in counters and two security lanes. Tourism Minister Maryam Zulfa previously expressed satisfaction with GMR as “an example for the Maldives as it moves forward.”

DQP Vice President Imad Solih earlier submitted a separate though similar civil case arguing the illegitimacy of the charge and requesting the court take action against Finance Ministry.

The Civil Court is expected to soon deliver a verdict on the case.

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GMR to begin charging US$25 development fee to departing passengers

GMR will begin charging international passengers a US$25 (Rf385.5) Airport Development Charge (ADC) at the departure check-in counters of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport for all flights scheduled after 12 am on January 1, 2012.

The fee was previously approved by the government as part of its contract with GMR, said State Transport Minister Adil Saleem.

“This is supposed to be standard procedure in most airports, but I’m not sure that all airports do it. It may depend on their development status. Sometimes it’s collected with the ticket price,” said GMR Head of Corporate Communications Mahika Chandrasena.

To incorporate the fee into ticket prices, International Air Transport Association (IATA) must provide a specialised code to airlines. IATA has not provided these codes.

Local airline operators allegedly informed GMR last week that without IATA’s permission they could not charge the fee internally.

Administrative Manager for Maldivian Airlines Ali Nashad Ahmed said the airline was “still seeking advice from Civil Aviation on how to proceed” with fees and customer relations due to the change. The airline expects to receive further instructions within the next week.

According to Chandrasena, the mechanism to incorporate the fee into ticket prices will be installed in the near future. Until then, GMR will charge the fee separate from airline tickets as per government regulations.

Immigration and customs authorities have supported the move, said Chandrasena, although the public is disgruntled at the higher price. “The fee is actually low compared to other airports,” said Chandrasena. “In Indonesia the fee is somewhere around US$50.”

Deputy Director General of the Civil Aviation Department Hussein Jaleel today said he didn’t know why IATA had refused the code, but that the department was recommending that the fee be charged at point of sale.

“It is more convenient for the passengers,” he said. “Some airports charge the fee separately, so this not peculiar to the Maldives. But our recommendation is to include the fee in the ticket price itself, so passengers only have to make one payment,” Jaleel said.

All passengers except those holding Maldivian passports and work visas will be expected to pay the amount in US dollars. The boarding pass will be issued after payment.

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GMR to oversee cargo handling in 2012

Local companies providing cargo handling services at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) have been asked by GMR to cease operations on January 1, 2012.

The request will force Bonito Group and Freight Forwarding Services, two of the companies involved, to lay off several employees, Haveeru reports. Fifty individuals are currently employed to handle cargo, 30 of whom are Maldivian.

GMR allegedly plans to provide all cargo handling services in the new year.

A Bonito official told Haveeru that GMR had discussed plans for contract termination with the cargo handling companies six months ago.

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Etihad, Hainan start service to Maldives

Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) welcomed the maiden flights of Etihad Airways and Hainan Airlines yesterday, making Male’ Etihad’s 67th destination.

Etihad flight EY278 from Abu Dhabi touched down at approximately 2:17 pm and was welcomed with a water cannon salute, bodu-beru dancers, coconuts and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Hainan flight from Beijing that touched down approximately 20 minutes later was similarly received.

Passengers who disembarked from both flights appeared curious, surprised, exhausted and delighted at the festivities. Etihad Executive Vice President Halid Al Marhedi was invited to cut a golden ribbon with GMR CEO Andrew Harrison and Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC) Managing Director, Simon Hawkins.

The new partnerships reflect the travel and tourism industry’s changing patterns.

While Etihad, the official airline of the United Arab Emirates, is projected to expand arrivals to the Maldives significantly, Hainan signifies China’s growing demand.

“It’s a good sign that these two airlines are having their maiden voyages today,” said Mahika Chandrasena, GMR Head of Corporate Communications. “Etihad shows that we are interested in expanding and working with these larger, well-known airlines. Hainan shows that we are interested in working with the Chinese market, which is growing dramatically.”

Hainan is the third Chinese airline to open operations in the Maldives.

Etihad is making the rounds in the region: today, it makes its maiden voyage to the Republic of Seychelles. Although Etihad will celebrate its 8th anniversary in the next few days, as one of the youngest premier airlines it has seen astonishing growth.

“Forward booking indicates that the Maldives has become one of the most popular destinations for leisure travelers and honeymooners,” said al Marhedi at a reception held at Naladhu resort last evening. Al Marhedi said Etihad was “very pleased to invest in the Maldives and support its economic growth.”

Speaking at the ceremony, Hawkins said the Maldives tourism industry could only benefit from the higher connectivity offered by Etihad. “It’s interesting to learn why people don’t come to the Maldives,” he said. “The number one reason is, people simply don’t know where we are. So when a major airline like Etihad opens services here, we know we can expect better connectivity to new markets and a fundamental boost to the country’s economy.”

Hawkins concluded that team work between airlines, travel agents, resorts and other sectors were essential to the growth and maintenance of the national economy.

Etihad has taken steps to offer customers a complete travel experience. Special travel packages are tailored to a range of budgets and travel purposes; airline guest members who book early and fly in the next 30 days will have their mileage points doubled.

INIA currently receives approximately two million arrivals each year from 29 different airlines. GMR aims to raise that to three million in the next year, and to 5.2 million by 2014, Chandrasena said.

“Alitalia will be joining us in December, bringing our airline numbers to 30,” she added. “We don’t want to say ‘no’ to anyone.”

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