Starting salary for an airport designer working in an architect’s firm is Rs. 25,000 per month, which can rise up to Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh with 15 to 20 years of experience. As an airport planning consultant, you can earn Rs. 1.5 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh per month. There are great opportunities in the government, semi-government and private sector

The average work day of an airport designer:

• 10am: Start the day. Collect details and documents related to the project. Study various norms, regulations and clients requirements
• 11.30am: Meeting with client
• Noon: Presentations
• 1pm: Lunch break
• 2pm to 7.30pm: Prepare detailed project reports, meetings with various sub-consultants, prepare estimates and get approval of designs from the clients

• Thorough knowledge of construction techniques and latest technology
• A good team player
• Must be well travelled and well read
• Since innovation is the mother of invention, one should have a creative bent of mind
• Good understanding of codes, norms and bylaws
• Ability to provide quality work and meet deadlines

Though there is no special course required to be an airport planner, a bachelor’s degree in architecture with airport planning as an elective subject can help in training a person to build such specialised buildings. Thereafter, one can do specialisation and an advanced postgraduate diploma course in airport planning. Certain institutes have special short-term courses in airport planning where one can learn about the basics.

• School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi
• Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad
• Malviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur
• Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
• Chandigarh College of Architecture
• Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi
• School of Architecture and Planning, Anna University, Chennai
• Department of Architecture, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi