A new policy on ground-handling services at airports would restrict passenger check-in, baggage screening and refueling to select specialised players, a move that private airliners have strongly opposed saying this will force them to axe around 8,000 employees engaged in such services.
The government had deferred the policy twice in the face of the resistance, but it could be implemented soon with mounting security concerns, said a civil aviation ministry official on condition of anonymity. “We have to implement the ground handling policy by January 2010 as the Cabinet is unlikely to allow us to further delay it,” he said.
The ministry has called a meeting on Tuesday of airlines and airport operators to resolve any operational issues arising due to this transition. “Their issues will be resolved through required changes in the draft policy,” he said. The draft will become a policy after the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
The official said airlines could be allowed to do self-handling at terminal buildings of airports but eventually that will also go to the ground handling agencies. The new policy restricts airlines from ground handling at the terminal building as well as in the airside (which includes ramp, taxi way and parking area at airports) for security reasons.
The draft policy allows only three agencies, state-owned Air India, the airport operator (such as Airports Authority of India, GMR and GVK) and a private agency selected through competitive bidding, to do ground handling for airlines. The proposed policy is scheduled for implementation at six metro airports, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
Airlines have strongly opposed the implementation of the new ground handling policy. They have argued that the move may force them to retrench 8,000 ground staff. Apart from manpower and quality of service the carriers have also expressed concern over investment already made in ground handling equipments. Airlines also fear the ground handling costs may go up.
“The regulator (Airport Economic Regulatory Authority or AERA) would soon start functioning and then there is no question of overcharging. AERA would fix and oversee all airport charges,” the official said.
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