Passengers will have to wait for facilities like travelator for some more time as action on the proposal to privatise the Chennai airport has been delayed yet again.
Airport employees and trade unions have been fiercely opposing the privatisation move.
According to the Airports Authority of India, the request for qualification (RFQ) process calling for private companies to take part in the operation, management and development of the airport through public private partnership, scheduled to take place in the first week of August, has been pushed to month-end.
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It is not clear why it has been delayed for a long time now, sources at the Chennai Airport told
The Chennai airport modernisation project includes construction of new terminals, extension of secondary runway over Adyar river and construction of additional parking bays and a new fire station at an estimated cost of Rs. 2,000 crore.
Even after the commissioning of the new international terminal, the arrival hall is yet to be thrown open for use owing to lack of Customs staff.
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The privatisation proposal, first made in November 2013, has been deferred several times.
With facilities at airports in New Delhi and Mumbai coming in for great praise, passengers visiting the Chennai airport feel completely let down by the standards of facilities here.
In February, amid strong protests by members of the Airport Authority Employees’ Union (AAEU), nine companies, including GMR Group, GVK and Tatas, the prospective bidder inspected the terminals before the bidding process started.
Employees’ union representatives argue that privatisation will only help the corporate sector and will not translate into benefits for passengers.