Local, overseas airlines owed Rs 2,739 cr dues to AAI

Domestic and foreign carriers owed airport usage fee dues worth Rs 2,739 crore to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at the end of March 2015, the government said today.
Out of the total, national carrier Air India and its subsidiaries owed the maximum of Rs 1,963 crore. Other carriers include SpiceJet, Jet Airways, Jet Lite (India), IndiGo and Go Air.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Minister Mahesh Sharma said AAI has taken various measures to recover the dues such as charging interest on outstanding dues of delayed bills.
Various airlines were to pay airport usage fee worth Rs 2,738.87 crore to AAI at the end of March 2015, with "national carriers" owing Rs 1,962.92 crore, according to Sharma.

At that time, foreign airlines owed Rs 388.93 crore while the domestic private carriers, including SpiceJet and Jet Airways, had to pay Rs 387.02 crore.
However, the Minister did not disclose the names of the foreign airlines.

Listing out the names of major private local carriers, Sharma said SpiceJet had owed Rs 185.59 crore at the end of March 2015 while Jet Airways and Jet Lite (India) Ltd together had to pay Rs 51.48 crore.
Besides, airlines that had to clear the dues at that time included Go Air (Rs 32 crore), Indigo Airlines (Rs 19.81 crore) and Air Asia (Rs 1.29 crore). Without taking names, Sharma said other private airlines owed Rs 96.85 crore to AAI.

"The dues are monitored on regular basis and the airlines are advised through regular correspondence/meetings to liquidate the outstanding dues which are overdue.
"... In case where delay persists, beside encashment of security deposit and allowing action as per agreement terms are initiated including allowing the airlines to operate on cash and carry basis," Sharma, who is the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, said.
As per AAI's Accounting Policy, an interest of 12 per cent is charged and the amount is calculated and booked on receipt basis at the time of realisation.