Delhi-based agency takes over cargo handling at Kolkata airport

Kolkata: Bhadra International, a Delhi-based ground handing agency, has taken charge of cargo operations at Kolkata airport from Monday, marking the beginning of a transition to world-class service.
Ground handling of passenger operations at the airport, currently carried out by over two dozen agencies, will also be handed to the same agency from January 1, 2011. The move follows a new policy set up to regulate activities at the airport on security grounds. The Union home ministry and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) had assessed that safety was being compromised at airports due to presence of multiple agencies that engaged contractual staff without adequate background checks.
All private carriers moved Delhi high court against airport operators like Airports Authority of India (AAI), Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), Mumbai International Airports Ltd (MIAL) and others, to stop them from implementing the policy that has been deferred twice. But with the court not ordering a stay on the new policy that comes into effect from January 1, 2011, Bhadra International has begun preparations to take charge of ground operations in Kolkata, Chennai and other southern airports allocated to it.
Similarly, two other ground handling agencies, NASS and Indo-Thai, have begun preparations at airports in west and north India. National carrier Air India and airport operators are also authorized to provide the service. AI right now provides the service to foreign carriers.
22/12/10 Times of India

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Categories: Airports Dec 2010