Delhi HC seeks govt’s response over DIAL’s plea challenging aviation policy
1 min read . Updated: 21 Nov 2016, 10:57 PM IST
PremiumThe plea is regarding rules under recent aviation policy restricting airports operating under PPP mode from commercially utilising land for providing non-aeronautical services
New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Monday sought a response from the Centre over a challenge brought to its recent aviation policy, which restricts airports currently operating under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode from commercially utilising land for providing non-aeronautical services.
A bench comprising chief justice G. Rohini and Justice V. Kameswar Rao before whom the matter was brought, agreed to consider the matter and posted it to be heard on a future date.
Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL) claimed in a plea that its exclusion (being an existing PPP airport) from the benefits held out by the policy was wrong.
The National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016, which came into effect on 15 June this year, restricts existing airports operating under the PPP model from commercially utilising their land for providing non-aeronautical services. This restriction is, however, not applicable to future or upcoming PPP airports which would be run by the Airport Authority of India (AAI), the petition claimed.
DIAL contended that it had written to the ministry to remove the exclusion, but the government had rejected its representation on the grounds that post-bid benefits could not be extended to existing PPP airports who had executed agreements with AAI. DIAL said that under its agreement with the government, it was entitled to use 5% of the total land for non-aeronautical services.
The matter will be heard next on 9 January.
PTI contributed to this story.
