Pic: Dayanand Kukkaje

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Aug 25: The operation and maintenance of Mangaluru International Airport will shortly be taken over by a German concern, Flughafen München GMBH. Adani group, which entered into an agreement with the Airports Authority of India for maintenance of Mangaluru, Ahmadabad and Lucknow airports, will be handing over these three airports for maintenance to the above German company through sub-contract.

The German company bagged the offer through the tender process held during July. The company already has been maintaining Munich airport in Germany.

Airports Authority of India was earlier managing all aspects of this airport. As per the central government's decision to privatise maintenance of certain airports, Adani group had bagged the contract. The airport has not yet been handed over to the company and senior officers of Adani group, who reached here two days back, are staying in flats in multi-storied complex on the Airport Road, and handing over process is under preparatory stage.

Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) had recommended privatisation of maintenance work at Mangaluru, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Guwahati, and Thiruvananthapuram airports for which approval was given in July last year. In the tender process, Adani Group had bagged the contract to maintain Mangaluru airport. The contract is for 50 years during which time, maintenance, development of terminals, taking up customer-friendly projects etc have to be undertaken by the private company. Technical operations will be under the control of the Airports Authority of India.

Contract with Adani group was entered into during February this year. Handing over of the airport took time as several surveys and administrative procedures had to be complied with. Coronavirus pandemic also caused some delay. Most of the processes are completed. Adani will now hand over operations and maintenance of the airport to German-based company named above.