Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Oct 16: As part of the decision of the central government to hand over operation, development and maintenance of a few airports in the country to private hands, the process of entrusting the airport here to the hands of Adani Group of concerns led by Gautam Adani will be completed before the end of this month. With this, Mangaluru International Airport which was managed by the government for 69 years, will go to private hands.

Sources said that the entire process of handing over should be completed before November 12. As per sources, the airport will be officially managed by Adani Group with effect from Saturday October 24 midnight or November 1. Even after the process is completed, the Adani Group and Airports Authority of India will function in tandem with each other for a couple of years. During this period, finance, commercial activities at the terminal, profit-loss etc will be supervised by Adani Group while the authority will give preference to flight operations and will be overall guiding the entire system. The airlines were paying rent to the Airports Authority of India, but once the handing over is complete, Adani will manage the entire work. The staff will discharge duties as usual. After a year, Adani is likely to handle new appointments.

After the current handing over, air traffic control and communication and navigation centres supervision will remain with the Airports Authority. Except security staff and airline staff, Adani will manage terminal building, runway, electrical, civil work etc.

About 25 high level officials of Adani Group have studied the airport issues since the last couple of months. For a few months, the post of airport director will be in force after which the executive officer of Adani Group is expected to take over the affairs.