MoU with Emirates to bring Rs 30,000 crore capital in Andhra Pradesh

Vijayawada: An MoU was signed between Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board and The Emirates Group during the meeting with His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu recalled how he was instrumental in the expansion of Emirates Airlines in India and in starting the first Emirates flight from Hyderabad.

The Emirates Group expressed keen interest in operating in Amaravati and other parts of Andhra Pradesh, once regulations are relaxed by Government of India.

The number of seats from India in a flight are limited by the agreement with the Union government and it needs to be revised, said Emirates officials.

The CM has invited Sheikh Ahmed to come to Amaravati and explore possibilities of building and operating airports and start a joint venture in aviation with the government of Andhra Pradesh.

To this, Sheikh Ahmed responded positively, and said he will ask his team to examine the potential. “An entire ecosystem should be built for an airline to succeed. Dubai has 1 lakh hotel rooms and will have 1.5 lakh rooms by 2020.

For flights to enable more movement of passengers, the ecosystem should provide for other facilities like accommodation, shopping, tourist attractions and business opportunities”, said Sheikh Ahmed.

The centre tracks weather conditions and their impact on flight schedules, and consists of a Crisis Management Centre, which is designed to address emergencies.

The MoU signed also included a discussion on setting up a Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO), an aviation training centre and a manufacturing unit of in-flight consumables. These are likely to bring in an investment of almost ?30,000 crore. It was signed by APEDB CEO Jasthi Krishna Kishore and His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Indian Ambassador to UAE Navdeep Suri was also present in the meeting. (Spot: 338 words. Patri vasudevan.