NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over the losses incurred by the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), airport officials have warned that if the situation continued, they would not be able to pay employees and electricity bills in two months’ time.
DIAL CFO Sidharth Kapur said the airport was likely to register a loss of `1000 crore in this fiscal.
“Air-India owes us `450 crore, but these payments are not coming through impacting airport operations, though the airline is on cash and carry. We hope to solve this in consultation with the government,” he said on the sidelines of the release of a study on the Delhi Airport by the National Council of Applied Economic Research.
The Kingfisher Airlines operating from Delhi and Hyderabad owed the airports up to `75 crore.
“We expect that Air India and the government should immediately make a lump sum payment so that we do not get sick,” Kapur said, adding that Airports Economic Regulatory Authority’s (AERA) delay in fixing airport tariff was adding to their woes.
The DIAL has a long-term debt, including foreign borrowings of `5,300 crore, and is paying an interest of 10 per cent.
Sources said the DIAL was operating at a daily loss of `50-60 crore.
On the increase in airport tariff, Kapur said that a resultant `350-450 increase was likely to come into effect on each domestic ticket. This, as per the airport operator, would not be enough to cover the operating cost.
“The AERA is not willing to extend the term of the tariff collection, because of which a higher percentage is being proposed for collection from the travelling passenger. However, they are not agreeing so the shortfall, even after tariff, has to be filled by the government as per the agreement,” a DIAL official said.