Private airports' policies not aligned with UDAN scheme: G R Gopinath

Why can't private airports allocate 25 per cent of their flights for regional aviation, Gopinath asks

Air Deccan, India’s first low-cost airline that made flying affordable for the middle class, is relaunching its operations from December 23. The airline’s promoter, G R Gopinath, tells Arindam Majumder about the hurdles it faced, the country’s aviation scene and much more. Edited excerpts:

You were supposed to start operations by September. What took you so long?

We faced huge problems in getting slots at Mumbai and Delhi airports. I wouldn’t mince words — you can call it monopoly of airport operators, and monopoly is a monster. Every major city in the world has second airports, and they compete among themselves to