Hyderabad airport will open on March 23; ground handling rates cut

New Delhi/Hyderabad: The suspense is off. The new airport in Hyderabad will open on March 23, a week later than originally planned, with the two ground handling agencies there agreeing to drastically reduce the charges, which the airlines will have to pay to use their services.
Protest from some airlines against the high ground handling rates, being charged by the new airport, was the official reason for the airport operationalisation being delayed.
Sources told Business Line that the new rates being negotiated were likely to see the airlines paying for the services in a graded manner. The airlines are likely to be charged around Rs 9,000 for the first 10 flights operated in a day per airline with the subsequent flights being charged only Rs 6,500 as ground handling costs. Earlier, the airport authorities had proposed ground handling charges at Rs 22,000 per flight, then brought it down to Rs 13,000 and now to around Rs 9,000.
While Air India has tied up with Singapore Air Transport Services, Menzies and Bobba Aviation have come together to provide ground handling services at the new airport.
21/03/08 Business Line

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Categories: Airports Mar 2008, New Mar 2008