Delhi Airport to have ‘low-cost’ terminal for LCCs in 2010

Mumbai: The Delhi Airport may emerge as the country’s first with a ‘low-cost’ terminal after its proposed domestic terminal 1-D will be opened to Low-Cost-Carriers (LCCs) in 2010. According to a report in The Indian Express by Smita Aggarwal, a Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) source stated that the airport charges at the new domestic terminal might be lower than at other terminals. “Delhi Airport is set to emerge as an airport with first low-cost terminal. To attract LCCs to operate from this terminal, it is likely that the airport charges may be brought down. The airport charges include landing, housing, parking, X-ray baggage and route navigational fees. Currently, LCCs and Full-Service Carriers (FCCs) pay the same amount of airport charges,” added the source.
Adding a note of caution, the source pointed out that the concept of low-cost airports might not take off dramatically in India due to various reasons. “The security of the airport cannot be compromised. We have introduced systems such as inline baggage checking, common user terminal equipment, and aerobridges, which have increased the capital costs. Therefore the idea may not take deep roots in India,” said the source. However, Capt G R Gopinath, who launched Air Deccan, is bullish on the idea. Gopinath had proposed the idea to the Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh governments. In fact, the idea found favour with Karnataka government and received a sanction of Rs 40 crore for development of four no-frills low-cost airports in the state.
Gopinath said that exploratory talks with Jindal Vijaynagar Steel Ltd. for development of low-cost airports were on.
18/01/09 TravelBizMonitor

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Categories: Airports Jan 2009, Low Cost General Jan 2009, New Jan 2009