Govt plans to privatise 20-25 airports in next phase: AAI chairman

Last year, the government had decided to privatise airports in Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, and Guwahati for operation, management and development through PPP model

After privatising six airports, the government is set to privatise 20-25 more in the next phase, Airports Authority of India Chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra said on Friday.

Last year, the government had decided to privatise airports in Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, and Guwahati for operation, management and development through public-private partnership (PPP) model.

In February, the Adani Group bagged contract for five of the six airports.

"We have privatised six airports; we are now planning to privatise 20-25 airports in next phase," said Mohapatra.

"These 20-25 airports will be major airports with annual passenger traffic between 1 and 1.5 million," he told a press briefing here.

Mohapatra will take over as Secretary, Department of Industry and Internal Trade, in the Ministry of Commerce from August 1.

The Adani Group were the highest bidder for Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Lucknow, Mangaluru and Jaipur airports.