CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Thursday ordered notice to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on the fresh petitions filed by PVR Inox Limited, multiplex theatre operator, which prayed for the court to quash a letter issued by the AAI on June 20, 2025, asking it to close the cinema halls run on the multi-level car parking complex on the Chennai airport premises and to temporarily restrain it (AAI) from interfering with its operations.
Apart from ordering issuance of notice, Justice N Anand Venkatesh, before whom the petitions came up for hearing, granted interim injunction against the AAI from interfering with the operations of the petitioner firm in the multi-level car parking complex. The judge adjourned the hearing to July 7.
The matter pertains to the recent decision of AAI to close down the cinema halls by prematurely terminating the lease granted to Meenambakkam Realty Private Limited, an SPV launched by Olympia Techpark Limited to develop and run the Aerohub on the airport premises. PVR Inox had entered into a sub-licencing agreement with the SPV for 13 years.
Recently, the high court closed a petition, seeking to permit continuing screening of the movies, filed by the firm with directions to the AAI to maintain status quo until a decision was taken on the representation given by the cinema operator. Senior counsel P S Raman, assisted by Arva Merchant, appeared for PVR Inox.
The senior counsel submitted that the June 20 letter was sent to the firm much to its shock and dismay and in an arbitrary manner contending that the operation of the cinema halls cannot be permitted citing that the interim orders passed by the Arbitral Tribunal in the proceedings between AAI and the SPV have been vacated.
Furthermore, the AAI has ignored to exercise its obligations under the development agreement entered into on June 20, 2018, and has untenably sought to prohibit screening of movies in a colourable and arbitrary exercise of powers.