Operators in the dock as dues from airlines mount

Bangalore: Troubled times are in the air. Apart from reduction in flights and dip in passenger flow, airports across the country are facing yet another problem. They are deprived of their dues by the airlines using them.
Airports Authority of India (AAI) and several private airport operators witnessed a shortfall in revenue to the tune of Rs 228 crore between April and September 2008, when compared to the corresponding period in 2007.
Among the private operators, the promoters of Delhi, Hyderabad and the Bangalore airports have been incurring losses. The private operators, including the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA), are not getting their dues from a few airlines on time.
If the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has total dues of Rs 84.50 crore, BIA has outstanding dues of Rs 41 crore from the airlines.
Recently, BIA had said that the airport is incurring a monthly loss of Rs 22 crore and Rs 130 crore in the first six months of its operations.
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, in the case of AAI, topping the list of defaulting airlines is National Aviation Company of India Limited (NACIL)-Air India, with Rs 739.50 crore, followed by Air Deccan-Kingfisher with Rs 286.62 crore, Jet airways-Jetlite with Rs 32.78 crore and Spicejet with Rs 15.76 crore.
25/12/08 Hemanth C S/Express Buzz

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

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