Easy ground handling norms for global airlines

New Delhi: The government is likely to relax ground handling norms for international carriers even as it proposes to block domestic carriers including Jet Airways, Air Sahara and Kingfisher Airlines from undertaking ground handling from January 1, 2009 as part of its new policy.
Civil aviation ministry sources said foreign airlines with a minimum of 14 services a week to and from an international airport would be permitted self-handling. At present, there are 12 international airports in India.
The policy will allow big international airlines like British Airways, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Emirates to undertake self-handling.
According to the policy, there will be three ground handling service providers in all metro airports. One will be the respective airport operator (Airports Authority of India or other operators as the case may be) or its joint venture. The second provider could be the subsidiary companies of Air India or Indian Airlines or their JVs. Third party handling will also be permitted to these on the basis of revenue sharing with the airport operator. The third will be selected on the basis of competitive bidding by the airport operator. At other airports, however, airlines will be permitted self-handling.
19/03/07 Atreyee Dev Roy/Financial Express

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Categories: Airports Mar 2007, Foreign Mar 2007