Private airport operators ask for more autonomy

“Being a public private partnership model,the private entity should have autonomy in operating the airport on its own,” Satyan Nayar,secretary general of the association.

“Air Traffic Control should be corporatised as it is in countries such as New Zealand or Australia. At least to begin with,the ministry can ensure that the private entities have a role to play in it. We are anyway in charge of all the runways and taxiways,” he added.

Likewise,the association has also demanded that the airport operators get to coordinate all aerodrome functions.

“In case of brownfield airports being developed,operated and managed by private operators,many of the powers are still with the Airport Authority of India. For more efficient functioning it may be desirable to have this amended appropriately,” the association said in the letter to KN Srivastava,secretary at the ministry.

The association said the collection of airport development fee is still not delegated to private operators and they are finding it difficult to manage the airport efficiently without such powers. The association has urged the ministry to provide clear-cut responsibilities and duties of the various agencies involved.

A recent spat between Mumbai airport customs and Central Industrial Security Force officials on duty at the airport had allegedly led to a compromise in airport security. The association also wants all the activities at the airport of the numerous agencies such as customs,immigration,representatives of the food ministry,home ministry and ministry of external affairs to be under the overall supervision and control of the airport operator.