COVID-19 effect: AAI gives more time to Adani group to take over management of 3 privatised airports

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has given three more months to the Adani group to take over the management of three privatised airports of Ahmedabad, Mangaluru and Lucknow due to the COVID-19 scenario, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry on Saturday.

This means the Adani group, which was expected to take over the operations, management and development of the three airports by August 12, can now take over the airports by November 12.

CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH

"On the advent of COVID-19 scenario, AEL (Adani Enterprises Limited) has cited force majeure and filed for extension in March 2020 and sought time till February 15, 2021 (to take over the three airports)," said the statement by the Civil Aviation ministry.

"AAI has agreed to the extension of time of additional three months to achieve Commercial Operation Date (COD) by the concessionaire in view of force majeure on account of COVID-19," it added.

For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here

In 2018, the government decided to privatise airports at Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, and Guwahati. It was for operation, management and development of these airports through a public-private partnership model.

Adani Enterprises had won the rights to run these six airports after a competitive bidding process. It had signed the concessionaire agreement with the AAI for three airports -- Ahmedabad, Mangaluru and Lucknow -- on February 14 this year.

The aviation sector has been hit hard due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After a gap of two months due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown, India resumed domestic passenger flights on May 25 albeit in a curtailed manner. International passenger flights continue to remain suspended in the country.