Business aircraft body slams move

Business Aircraft Operators Association (BAOA), an umbrella organisation for business aircraft in India, has condemned the levying of ‘exorbitant’ penal charges by Mumbai International Airport Limited (Mial) on private jets.

GVK, the operator of Mial, on Thursday decided to withdraw the penalty levied on private jets till July 14. After that, charges will be applicable if the aircraft are not shifted from the airport parking area.

Rohit Kapur, president of BAOA, slammed Mial.  “Since the time the airport’s master plan was being made, we have been telling the authorities to make parking arrangements for general and business aircraft. Now, all of a sudden MIAL has slapped charges which are absolutely illegal,” he said.

Countering the Mial’s claim that a nod from Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) is not needed for levying the charge, Kapur said: “I agree the rules on general and business aircraft under AERA are sketchy. But not taking permission from AERA is Mial’s interpretation. Our legal team is studying the technicalities.”
BAOA claims it is going through the conditions under which the airport was handed over to GVK. BAOA members and the affected parties will soon air their grievances to the Civil Aviation Ministry and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).