Bangkok--13 Feb--Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation The national and regional airport hub argument does not carry the same weight in the Asia Pacific region as it did a decade ago. Rather, a portfolio of airports, serving different market segments and airline models, is becoming the way forward for policy makers, airport operators and investors in the current and future environment. India is poised to open new airports in Hyderabad and Bangalore — the first major new airports in India since Cochin Airport opened a decade ago. And questions are already being raised about the impending closure of downtown airports in both cities, as required by the 30-year concession agreements with the private-led airport development consortia. (Most new privately funded airport developments include lock-up or first-right of refusal conditions). The future of both existing airport sites in Hyderabad and Bangalore is unclear, but they could follow the lines of other replaced airports and offer MRO, flying schools, general aviation and associated activity. The land value, particularly of the Hyderabad site, is considerable. The closure of gateway airports is an issue that governments, particularly across the fast-developing Asian region, have had to grapple with. In some cases, pressures to re-open old airports have prevailed. Bangkok is the obvious example, while, AirAsia is lobbying to join a Malaysia Airlines’ regional airline subsidiary back at Kuala Lumpur’s former gateway at Subang, which is much closer to the city and — arguably — cheaper to operate from. The new airports at Hyderabad and Bangalore are quite remote from their city centres. Moreover, there are concerns that poor ground transport infrastructure could significantly increase travel times to/from the airports. In Bangalore’s case, that journey is expected to take up to three hours. Additionally, airlines, particularly LCCs, are often concerned with the higher costs associated with operating from new airports. Incumbent airline groups, led by IATA, are generally staunchly opposed to the operation of multiple airports in a city, twin city hubs, as they reduce their control of the market. There is also a national policy issue here too, which relates to the still-valuable role of a hub airport to the local economy. Where a dual airport system exists, it is important to ensure that airline connectivity is maintained - and the airport hub role can flourish. But the increasingly influential Asian LCC sector and the emerging breed of consumers seeking point-to-point travel are driving new airport policy considerations for government. Indeed the core of LCC expansion strategy in Europe has been the use of secondary airports, but some are increasingly targeting the major business hubs too. In Asia, the big hub plans will be increasingly joined by strategies (involving the liberalisation of aviation access) to develop smaller, secondary points, while the pressures to re-open old gateways will only intensify.