Click to play videoHyderabad: Hyderabad's new airport in Shamshabad, yet to start operations, could be further delayed. This is because low-cost carriers want ground-handling charges reduced before they start operations from the new airport.
“I think the airlines are basically opposing this monopolistic pricing, whether it's in the landing charges, whether it's in the user-development fee. They said it is thousand rupees, then we had to negotiate, then it's coming down. Why should there be this negotiation?” demanded Managing Director, Air Deccan, C R Gopinath.
GMR, which built the airport, has auctioned off ground-handling services, which includes towing and cleaning of aircraft, to two companies - IA-SATS, and Bobba Menezes. These companies are charging 60 to 80 per cent more than the ground-handling charges at the old Begumpet airport.
Although the Andhra Pradesh government has slashed sales tax on airline fuel from 32 per cent to 4 per cent, the new airport is charging for conveyance of fuel via pipelines directly to the aircraft. This comes to a whopping 20 per cent of the fuel cost itself, nullifying the savings on sales tax.
However, there are many who feel airlines are actually lobbying to fly from the old airport.
“The low-cost carriers are playing a game. They are trying to leverage the AAI dissatisfaction and piggy-back on that and say that the Begumpet Airport should be open so that they can operate there. That will not only give them a price advantage, but also give them a locational advantage,” explained President, Travel Agents Association of India, C V Prasad.
It is now up to the Ministry of Civil Aviation to work out a truce between low-cost airlines and companies handling ground services at the new Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.
With inputs from Netra Agarwal
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