New airport ground-handling policy from Friday

The ministry of civil aviation has asked all airport operators to initiate steps to implement the new ground-handling policy from April 1 in a bid to enhance safety and improve services at Indian airports.

The Delhi high court had earlier rejected a plea by airlines to stay implementation of the policy.

State-owned Air India (AI) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) would be major beneficiaries of the new policy. Being the national carrier, AI has the right to do ground-handling at all Indian airports while AAI will get additional revenue of at least Rs350 crore each year as authorised ground-handling agencies nominated by it would start work at important airports like Chennai and Kolkata from April 1.

At a recent meeting, the ministry met officials of AAI and private airport operators like GMR and GVK to review the preparedness for implementation of the new policy.

Under the new policy, only authorised agencies can do ground-handling at Indian airports. This means airlines cannot deploy outsourced manpower for doing ground-handling on their own.    

Instead of outsourced manpower, airlines have to now deploy full-time employees or hire the services of ground-handling agencies that have been given security clearance.

To improve security and safety at airports, the authorised ground-handling agencies have been asked to hire only security-cleared employees. Apart from improving security at airports, this move is also expected to result in enhanced safety for passengers and prevent pilferage of baggage and cargo.

Amid allegations that over 3,000 employees of manpower supplying companies would lose their jobs under the new policy, airlines have filed a stay petition in the Supreme Court. The petition is scheduled for hearing in April.