New airport policy is far from take-off

It will be some time before the new greenfield airport policy sees the light of day. The Committee on Infrastructure (CoI), headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has sought the views of the finance and company affairs ministries, besides the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission before finalising the policy.
Once approved, the policy would pave the way for private participation in airport development and dispense with the Centre's mandatory approval for setting up greenfield airports.
While no time-frame has been provided for the respective ministries to provide inputs to the draft policy, an official spokesperson said that it would now be taken up by the cabinet - and not by the CoI again.
If the policy is approved, it would force the government-owned Airports Authority of India to form joint ventures for several of its existing airports in the wake of competition from private developers.
It could also lead to a new breed of developers setting up greenfield airports and seeking to develop a full-fledged township in the periphery.
02/11/07 Sindhu Bhattacharya/DNA Money/Sify.com

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Categories: Airports Nov 2007, New Nov 2007