Machendranathan takes over as AERA chairman

S Machendranathan, a former secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat, has taken over charge as chairman of the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA).
Machendranathan took over the charge of the tariff regulatory body yesterday, an official release said here.
The tariff regulatory body had been functioning without a head since Yahswant Bhave completed his tenure last year.
Bhave was the first AERA chief after it came into being in 2009.
A Tamil Nadu-cadre IAS officer, Machendranathan retired as Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat in March last year.
Prior to joining the Cabinet Secretariat, Machendranathan had served as Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor in the Civil Aviation Ministry.

AERA consists of a Chairman and two whole-time members and it determines tariff of aeronautical services besides monitoring the set performance standards relating to quality, continuity and reliability of services at major airports.
Any airport which has an annual passenger throughput in excess of one-and-half million comes in the major airports category.