The Airports Authority of India (AAI) on April 20, 2023, issued the Airports Authority of India (Ground Handling Services) Amendment Regulations, 2023 to further amend the Airports Authority of India (Ground Handling Services) Regulations, 2018.
The following has been stated namely: -
• Regulation 3 which states “Ground handling services at airports” have been amended namely: -
1. Sub-regulation (1) has been substituted namely: -
“All domestic scheduled airline operators and domestic scheduled helicopter operators may carry out ground handling activities solely for the purpose of self-handling at all airports including civil enclaves”
2. Sub-regulation (4) has been substituted namely: -
“At the airport having annual passenger throughput of ten million passengers per annum or above, the airport operator shall ensure that there will be three ground handling agencies”
3. Sub-regulation (7) has been substituted namely: -
“Subject to sub-regulations (8) and (8A), at all airports, the subsidiary or joint venture of a public sector undertaking shall match the lowest royalty or revenue share, as applicable, paid by the other ground handling agency at such airport”
4. Regulation 8A has been inserted namely: -
“No ground handling agency or any person(s) controlling such ground handling agency shall have significant influence in any other ground handling agency operating on the same airport. In case a ground handling agency or the person(s) controlling the ground handling agency has significant influence in another ground handling agency operating on the same airport or acquires significant influence in another ground handling agency operating on the same airport pursuant to an acquisition from a public sector enterprise”
This has come into force on April 20, 2023
[Notification No. OP-89012/2/2022]
