Merchant airport policy by next yr: Patel

A civil aviation ministry policy on merchant airports will be in place by the middle of next year, Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel announced today.

"A new policy for airport development will be in place next year which will have the framework for merchant airports," Patel said at an Assocham summit here.

The policy had been formed after extensive consultation with the committee on infrastructure, followed by a discussion with an inter-ministerial group. It would now be sent back to the infrastructure committee and then taken to the Cabinet, Patel said.

The civil aviation ministry is considering proposals for merchant airports at Durgapur, Gwalior and Jhajjar.

The proposal for the Durgapur airport is based on the private-public partnership (PPP) model and has been put forward by a joint venture of infrastructure developers Pragati 47 and Hudco in a tripartite agreement with the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation and the Asansol-Durgapur Development Authority (ADDA).

While the airport at Jhhajjar is part of the Reliance special economic zone (SEZ), the one at Gwalior has been proposed by Gwalior Sugar Corporation Limited managing director Vikram Shrivastava.

Talking about "aerotropolises" (cities around airports for commercial development), Patel said there would be at least 10 such cities across the country in the next five years.

On airport infrastructure, Patel said the focus had to be on non-metros rather than only Delhi and Mumbai.

"In 2004, we had 50 operational airports. This year, we have 80 operational airports and by 2008, we will have 100. In future, we will need 500 airports across the country," said Patel.

Airports at Mundhra, Bellary, Vijaynagar and Jamshedpur have already been given licence for commercial operations.

Replying to questions on reservations expressed by Delhi airport developer GMR group on the viability of building a greenfield airport at Greater Noida, Patel said, "We have received a proposal from the Uttar Pradesh government and the same is being examined. We will be taking into consideration the contractual obligations with the GMR group before taking any decision."

Patel said the Greater Noida airport may be taken to the Committee on Infrastructure for a final decision if at all the government was to accept Uttar Pradesh's proposal.