Ahmedabad: The Employees’ Union of Airport Authority of India has affirmed that AAI sold the aeronautical and non-aeronautical resources of three air terminals worth ₹1,300 crore to the Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) for a portion of the cost. The measure of the resources was assessed when the Aviation Ministry was looking for government endorsement for privatization. In an open letter to the Prime Minister, the workers had referenced that when the Ministry of Civil Aviation had looked for endorsement from the public authority for a Public-Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC), the resources were offered to Adani Group for ₹500 crore.
Bid Was Out For Six Airports
The Private Group took over Mangaluru, Lucknow and Ahmedabad airports last year. In December 2018, AAI bid out for six airports, and in February 2019, Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) came out as the highest bidder. Three airports have already been handed over to the Adani Group, and the remaining three are likely to be handed over by the end of the month.
Deficit of 80% To Mangaluru Airport
These allegations come at a time when AAI reported losses for the first time since its inception. The Airport Authority incurred a loss of ₹ 2,814 crore compared to the profit of ₹ 1,985 crore in the financial year 2020. The loss of revenue also led to cutting down of incomes for the employees for six months.
The Adani Enterprises signed contracts for Mangaluru, Lucknow and Ahmedabad airports for ₹74.5 crore, ₹147 crore and ₹277 crore for the aeronautical non-aeronautical assets of the airports, reported The Hindu.
On the contrary, when the estimates were compared to the estimates of the Civil Aviation Ministry, a deficit of 80 per cent was found for the Mangaluru Airport, 75 per cent for Lucknow and 28 per cent from the Ahmedabad Airport.