Private airport operators seek government’s help claiming 2 lakh jobs at stake

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 10

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Claiming to have been severely impacted by the lockdown measures to contain COVID-19 spread, private airport operators have sought the government’s helping hand claiming that around two lakh jobs are at stake.

Seeking a bailout package from the Centre, the Association of Private Airport Operators (APAO) in a communication to the government said this would not only help in keeping the workforce afloat but also in maintaining the key infrastructure assets.

It went on to add that currently the sector employs approximately 2,40,000 people  and their jobs are at risk.

Consequently, downsizing will have an impact on the already strained sector. This will be felt across the country as New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad are some of the major airports which are handled by private entities.

The APAO said in the present situation foreign and domestic passenger flight operations have been halted till April 14 and only cargo operations are taking place at the facilities, which is hitting the bottom lines of the companies that operate the airports.

It, in its representation to the government, argued that not only is the income low but the operators are also in stress to pay up their huge chunk of the revenue to the government under the various management deals.

Quoting APAO Secretary General Satyan Nayar, a spokesperson of Delhi airport said, “We have approached the government requesting to immediately provide certain relief measures for the private airport operators, which will directly alleviate the financial burden for airports due to the COVID-19 outbreak.”

“In the absence of any relief measures it is just a matter of days and not months that the operators might go in for a massive downturn to contain costs. This sector won’t be able to sustain the manpower, it does right now,” Nayar said.

Accordingly the APAO has sought deferment of taxes and other statutory dues, and one time waiver of revenue share being paid to state run partner entities (AAI) and also lending lifelines to maintain and keep ready these critical facilities.