The Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has instructed specific airport operators to retract additional charges imposed on chartered flight operators, and the operators are in the process of refunding these extra fees, as reported by the government.
AERA, responsible for regulating and approving tariff caps for ground handling services at major airports in the country, received complaints from chartered aircraft operators regarding increased operational charges related to handling chartered flights.
What were these charges?
These charges were associated with the handling of chartered flights and the provision of non-aeronautical services, specifically “elite meet and greet services,” as prerequisites for charter aircraft operations at these airports.
Following AERA’s intervention, the relevant airport operators withdrew the additional operational charges linked to chartered aircraft operators. The airport operators are now in the process of refunding these extra charges, according to Singh’s written reply.
More airports request for point-of-call status
In a separate response, Singh stated that certain airports are not granted point-of-call status in the bilateral Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and other countries.
While the Kannur International Airport has requested point-of-call status for designated carriers of foreign countries, the Indian government, due to a significant imbalance in favor of foreign carriers, does not grant non-metro airports as new points of call for any foreign carriers.
“However, currently, due to a significant imbalance in the number of points of call in favour of foreign carriers, the Government of India does not grant any non-metro airport as a new point of call to any foreign carrier,” Singh said in a separate written reply.
Singh further informed that decisions regarding the grant of point-of-call status are made based on principles of reciprocity, the balance of benefits, the future plans of Indian carriers, and the overall interests of the aviation sector.