Are merchant airports the future of aviation?

As airport infrastructure heaves under the pressure of an unprecedented 40 per cent growth in passenger traffic, the civil aviation ministry is seriously considering allowing of merchant airports.
Ideal for areas with high population density and relatively higher air traffic, merchant airports can help circumvent roadblocks which have hit airport modernisation plans like land acquisition issues and the relocation of project affected people.
In a meeting held in Delhi recently, Civil Aviation secretary Ashok Chawla told members of industry chambers, airport operators and consultants that it would be difficult to generate such resources in the public sector or even through a public-private-partnership. Therefore, the need to explore the merchant airport option.
Merchant airports are operated entirely in the private sector, and are run with private resources and government funding is absent. Government intervention at such airports is limited to land acquisition approvals (a state list subject) and the necessary clearances required from the defence and environment departments at the Centre.
The policy had also come to the fore recently when Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel talked about the need for a more liberal and licence-free civil aviation policy as a vision 2020 statement. It also proposes to allow 100 per cent FDI at such airports.
21/05/07 Manisha Singhal/Manisha Singhal

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Categories: Airports May 2007, New May 2007