Congestion cost: Rs 500-cr ATF bill

Mumbai: Indian carriers wasted aviation turbine fuel (ATF) worth Rs 500 crore in 2009-10 thanks to incremental flying, a figure likely to cross Rs 650 crore this financial year. The incremental flying is necessitated by increasing congestion at metro airports which delays landing and getting parking space. Technical glitches and bad weather too lead to incremental flying. The wastage accounts for as much as 3% of the total ATF consumed by these airlines in FY2009-10. This is expected to rise to 5% this financial year.
Jet Airways with 89 aircraft had a fuel bill of Rs 3,758.39 crore for the year ended March 2010, and wasted as much as Rs 150 crore on incremental flying. Said Saroj Datta, executive director, Jet Airways: “Due to incremental flying arising from congestion at airports, the airline wasted 3-4% of fuel during 2009-10.”
With airlines bulking up their fleets to match demand, congestion has been on the rise. In Mumbai, India’s second busiest airport after New Delhi, delays in environmental clearance for a second airport proposed in Navi Mumbai have put additional burden on the existing airport.
31/08/10 Shaheen Mansuri/Indian Express

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Categories: airports aug 2010, Indian Aviation- In General Aug 2010