Privatisation of Chennai airport has been deferred till mid-March as officials are still in the process of finalising the concession agreement for the project.
Discussions on some aspects of the agreement are in progress with prospective bidders, resulting in the delay, said an official of Airports Authority of India (AAI) in New Delhi.
“Several infrastructure companies including GMR Airports Ltd., GVK and Reliance have evinced interest. We are still drafting the concession agreement,” said the official.
The request for qualification (RFQ) for privatisation of Chennai airport that began in November was pushed to December, January, then to February and to March 17 now.
Passengers may have to put up with several issues in the airport due to the delay in privatisation.
The Chennai airport whose expansion cost over Rs. 2,000 crore has suffered delays not just in commissioning but also in maintenance. There have been several instances of collapse of false ceiling and shattering of glass panels.
A granite tile came crashing down near the lift of the domestic terminal a few days ago, but fortunately no one was hurt.
“The toilets are perennially stinking, the tiles have cracked and even the trolleys are not maintained well at this airport,” said an AAI official.
