Cut airport charges: IATA tells India

Mumbai: Montreal-based International Air Transport Association (IATA) has come down heavily on the high aeronautical charges and taxes prevalent in India. “Malaysia reduced airport charges by 50 per cent in March... in response to the economic environment. Singapore, China and Thailand have taken similarly positive measures,” IATA director general and CEO Giovanni Bisignani said, while asking for quick one-off reduction (in airport charges) across India.
In its recently held annual general meeting, IATA put the Delhi and Mumbai airports on its ‘Wall of Shame’ for hiking airport charges by 207 per cent.
IATA has also advised Civil Aviation Praful Patel on six priority areas that are critical for Indian aviation.
In his letter to Patel, IATA Director General and CEO Giovanni Bisignani said, “The outlook (on airlines) has significantly deteriorated with airline revenues forecast to decline by 15 per cent or $80 billion in 2009. Net losses in 2009 are expected to be considerably higher than previous forecasts at $4.7 billion. Indian carriers too are undergoing extreme financial and operational stress.” The six areas that IATA has earmarked as critical focus areas for Indian aviation are safety, global leadership, airport development, aeronautical charges and taxes, technology and airspace infrastructure capacity.
On the agenda of airport infrastructure, Giovanni emphasised on the need for a second airport in Mumbai that remains a critical bottleneck. “The current economic slowdown is also an opportunity to restart non-metro airport development program," he said. On safety, Bisignani has urged Praful Patel that India mandate the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) as additional testimony to its commitment of safety oversight.
20/06/09 Shashank Shekhar/Indian Express

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Categories: Airports Jun 2009