A M Shabeer, Executive Director, Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), India

Speaker Biograghy: A M Shabeer is Head of Engineering at CIAL, the first airport to be built under the PPP model in India. This airport is acclaimed as a shining example of cost-effective airport development in India. He is a specialist in masterplanning, facilities planning and project management of cost-effective airport development. He has Master's degrees in Civil Engineering and Business Administration. He also leads the airport consultancy wing of CIAL and functions as an accountable officer for the airport privatisation bid participation initiative of CIAL. He represented CIAL in the delegation headed by Honourable Civil Aviation Minister, Government of India in the Indo-US Aviation summit held in Washington DC in 2013 and was a panel speaker about the development of cost-effective airports. Personal fact: He is married to Sheeja A and they have two daughters.


Day 1 - 15 March
Session: Energy, Environmental Issues & Sustainability

16:35 - 17:05 - Cochin International Airport – the world’s first fully solar-powered airport
Synopsis: CIAL, the first PPP airport in India, commenced its operation in 1999. Last year it handled 6.4 million passengers. Up until August 2015, the power required for the airport was obtained from the state power company. In August, a 12Mwp solar PV plant was commissioned by the airport. It cost US$9.40m and produces 52,000 units per day, fully meeting its requirement. In 25 years, this plant will have cut 300,000 MT of CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to planting three million trees or not driving 750 million miles.

Audience will learn:
Day 2 - 16 March
Session: Airport Design, Planning & Development - Middle East & Asia

14:00 - 14:25 - Cost-effective airport development in India being benchmarked by AERA
Synopsis: CIAL is the first PPP model airport in India and has been operational since 1999. State Government and the public sector hold 47% of the equity and 53% is held by18,000 shareholders, making it truly a people's airport. It handled 6.4 million passengers last year and had a net profit of US$22m. The US$150m second phase of airport expansion commenced last year and will be completed in 2016. This includes a 1.5 million square feet terminal building, aprons, etc. AERA is benchmarking this as the most cost-effective airport development in India.

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