By IANS,
New Delhi : The country’s airports operator, Airports Authority of India (AAI), Friday said airline operators owe it Rs.11 billion (Rs.1,100 crore), of which Air India alone has to pay RS.7 billion (Rs.700 crore).
“We are in the process of settling this issue with the airlines. We know they are facing problems due to high operational costs and downturn in the economy,” AAI chairman V.P. Agarwal told reporters on the sidelines of an aviation conference.
Agarwal said AAI would offer more time to airline operators for settling their dues, adding: “We are in the same industry and are facing a similar crisis”.
Regarding the airports development fee, which the government has approved for New Delhi and Mumbai airports, he said: “Other airports that are being developed by the airports authority would also have similar charges. This is being done to raise funds for upgrading the airports.”
About 20 more airports, including those at Kolkata and Chennai, are being upgraded by the AAI at an investment of Rs.120 billion (Rs.12,000 crore).
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), the developer of the IGI Airport, has started charging Rs.200 from domestic passengers and Rs.1,300 from international travellers as development fee from March 1.
A GVK-led consortium that is upgrading the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai will levy Rs.100 per trip on domestic passengers and Rs.600 on passengers flying abroad from April 1.
Domestic passengers already pay Rs.375 and Rs.260 to fly out of the greenfield airports at Hyderabad and Bangalore, respectively, while international passengers are charged Rs.1,000.