Government Refuses To Buckle Under AAI Pressure, To Privatise Six Airports Including Lucknow, Ahmedabad

Despite severe opposition from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) employees, the Centre has announced that six airports in the country would be privatised, reports Zee News.

Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri said, "Private players will be invited to manage six airports of the country. The ones chosen for operation, management and development through a public-private partnership (PPP) model are Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, and Guwahati,''

Clarifying on the concern by the AAI employees, the Civil Aviation Minister said that it will benefit the AAI and the air travellers. Puri cited the examples of Delhi and Mumbai airports which were privatised in 2006.

Last week, the AAI employees forum wrote a letter to the Civil Aviation Minister, registering their protest against the proposed privatisation of the six profit-making airports across the country.

In the letter, the AAI employees said that privatisation has encouraged monopolistic operation, exploitation of employees and additional burden on the general public.