Ahmedabad: The Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati was handed over to the Adani Group for operations, management, and development. At midnight, Ramesh Kumar, the Airports Authority of India’s Airport Director, handed over the symbolic key to Utpal Baruah, the airport’s chief officer to begin the development process of Northeast India’s premier airport.
In 2018, the government of India included the Guwahati airport in the group of six airports: Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Mangalore, Jaipur and Thiruvananthapuram that are set for privatization for operations, management and development (OMD) for a period of 50 years. Adani Enterprise Limited had emerged as the successful bidder for all the six airports. The concession agreement between the AAI and Adani Enterprise Limited was signed on January 19 this year in New Delhi.
From Friday onwards, the operations, management and development responsibilities of Guwahati’s Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport will be handled by the new airport operator ‘Adani Guwahati International Airport Limited (AGIAL)’, the statement said.
Amidst the sonorous traditional tune of ‘taal-khol’ and ‘Bihu’, in presence of the Adani Group’s representatives, the charge handover moment was witnessed by several staff and officers of the airport with their families.
In the initial three years, the new airport operator will be supported by the employees of the AAI. Speaking on the occasion, Kumar wished luck to the new operator and assured his support in the initial phase.
Baruah, in his address, thanked the AAI for bringing in noticeable changes to LGBI Airport. He appealed to each individual at the airport and public at large for wholehearted support to make the airport a world class facility which will bring pride to the nation, the statement said.
