For operating and maintaining Kolkata and Chennai airports, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has finally initiated the process to rope in foreign companies in line with the recommendations of a Planning Commission task force.
According to VP Agrawal, Chairman of AAI foreign operators such as Changi Airport Group (Singapore) and Flughafen Zurich AG, which run the Zurich airport, have already shown interest for a tie-up with AAI for providing the services. However, the AAI chief added that the PPP (public-private partnership model is a kind of policy AAI is working on, which can be implemented starting with Kolkata and Chennai airports.
The Planning Commission task force under the chairmanship of BK Chaturvedi, in its deliberation on financing plan for airports during the 12th Five-Year Plan, had earlier suggested privatisation of the operations and maintenance of government-run airports. While the new terminal at Kolkata airport will be formally inaugurated on January 20, the Chennai airport is expected to be thrown open on January 31, post-modernisation.
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