Kerala HC notice to Centre on PIL on airport ground handling Lead)

A division bench of the Kerala High Court has directed the central government to file an affidavit in two months' time over ground handling activities at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport.

The bench of Justice Thottathil B.Radhakrishnan and Justice Babu Mathew P. Joseph gave this direction Friday (released Tuesday) on a public interest litigation filed by T. Johny, who sought that the ground handling activities of Air India at the airport be handed over to the Air India Air Transport Services Limited (AIATSL).

The Aviation Industry Employees Guild, a union which represents the employees of Air India, has welcomed the directive.

L.S. Sibu, regional secretary of the guild, said the handing over of ground handling of Air India at the international airport here to Air India-Singapore Airport Terminal Services Ltd. (AISATS) was against the policy decision of the government of India.

"In 2009 Air India had submitted to the government of India a turnaround plan and a financial restructuring plan which was approved by the government at its highest level in 2012 and it said that the ground handling be carried out by AIATSL," said Sibu.

He also pointed out that the ground handling business is a major source of revenue, which would have helped Air India hugely.