The Hindu : Front Page : Tiruchi airport to be partially privatised

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Sunday, Jul 05, 2009
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Tiruchi airport to be partially privatised

P. Oppili

CHENNAI: The Civil Aviation Ministry is planning to partially privatise non-metro airports, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said here on Saturday.

Mr. Patel. who arrived here by a special aircraft in the evening, told The Hindu at the airport that under the programme the airports in Tiruchi, Amritsar in Punjab and Udaipur in Rajasthan would be thus privatised.

Explaining the concept of partial privatisation, Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials said other than the terminal buildings, the operational area and the runway, areas including car parking, courier and cargo facilities would be handed over to private companies under Private-Public Partnership arrangements. The AAI would lease the land to the private operator and the operator would pay the AAI a licence fee.

Answering a question on the quantum of User Development Fees to be introduced at the Chennai and Kolkata airports, Mr. Patel said it had not been decided yet.

Airports modernisation

The AAI is in the process of modernising 80 airports to international standards. User Development Fees has been proposed to meet the expenses, he said. The two private operators at the New Delhi and Mumbai airports are already charging User Development Fees.

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