AirAsia India says paid all dues to Airports Authority from Sep 2021

AirAsia India said on Wednesday it has paid all its dues to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the airline was making all payments as per credit terms on due dates from September 2021.

PTI had on December 26 reported that AirAsia India's dues to the AAI increased from Rs 1.47 crore in January 2020 to Rs 3.58 crore in October 2021, as per AAI's internal documents.

An airline has to pay for air navigation, landing and parking among others to the AAI, which is under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, to use facilities at its airports, numbering more than 100.

AirAsia India spokesperson told PTI on Wednesday, "We have paid all our dues as per the contract with AAI. We are making all payments as per credit terms on due dates from September and there are no dues as on date."

Operational costs always increase in proportion to the number of flights operated and guests flown, the spokesperson mentioned.

"In this period, from September to today, we have paid out Rs 59 crore within the due dates as per the policy of the Airports Authority," the spokesperson added.

India's six major domestic carriers -- IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir, AirAsia India, Air India and Vistara -- owed the AAI Rs 2,306.59 crore as on January 1, 2020, the AAI documents, accessed by PTI, stated.

These dues swelled by 14.29 per cent to Rs 2,636.34 crore by October 31, 2021, the documents mentioned.