AAI mulls harsh steps to recover airline dues

New Delhi: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is all set to crack whip on the private and state-owned airlines which have not paid the whopping dues running into over Rs 1,000 crore.
The AAI had set October 24 deadline for the payment of the outstanding dues for all the defaulting airlines. But the non-payment by the airlines has ticked off the AAI, which offers services like landing, parking and route navigation to all the airlines in domestic and international sectors.
“Ideally the airlines must clear its dues with in 15 days and most of them breach this credit limit and it results in colossal dues. Each of the airlines has individually been contacted and told to pay but not much has been done,” the official said.
Among the list of the defaulters the state carrier National Aviation Company of India Ltd (Nacil), which runs Air India, sits right on the top. Nacil has unpaid dues running over Rs 650 crore. Of private airlines, Kingfisher Airways and Jet Airways account for around Rs 255 crore and Rs 36 crore respectively. SpiceJet, Paramount, Indigo and GoAir owe Rs 21 crore, Rs 10 crore, Rs 5 crore and Rs 7.98 respectively.
Sources said that AAI might resort to take harsh steps to recover dues from the airlines. “AAI might have to recover dues from the security deposits of the airlines, but this is no permanent solution,” said the official.
31/10/08 Yogesh Kumar/Daily News & Analysis

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Categories: Airports Oct 2008, Indian Aviation- In General Oct 2008