THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Soon after the takeover, Adani Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Ltd (ATIAL) has slashed the parking fee at the airport. The parking fee has been slashed from Rs 85 for 15 minutes to Rs 30. A senior official close to the ATIA said, “We don’t know what the previous airport operators charged as parking fee. The new rate is applicable in all airports controlled by the Adani Group.”
From now on, the cars coming to the airport to drop or pick up a traveller need not pay the parking charges.
The owners have to pay the fee only if the vehicles enter the parking bay. When asked whether the airport operator will slash the parking and landing fee of the aircraft in the airports, the official said the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) takes a call on matters like slashing or increasing such charges or user development fee.
The airport was taken over by the ATIAL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Ltd, on October 14. The Adani Group, which is constructing the Rs 7,525-crore Vizhinjam international seaport in Thiruvananthapuram district, had won the bid for the 89-year-old airport held in February 2019. As per the bid agreement, the private company will operate, manage and develop the airport for a period of 50 years under a concession agreement signed with the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
Meanwhile, the company is expected to give an offer letter to the employees attached to the AAI in three months. If the letter is acceptable to the employees, they can join the private entity. Else, they will be transferred to other airports controlled by the AAI in the country after three years of joint operation of the Thiruvananthapuram airport. The new airport company will pay Rs 168 per domestic passenger to the AAI as part of the privatisation agreement. The rate for the international passenger would be double that for the domestic passenger.