Thursday, August 28, 2014

Govt open to allowing second airport within 150 km of an existing one

New Delhi/Hyderabad:  The Government is keeping an open mind on allowing a second airport to come up within 150 km of an existing one.

The current policy says that no new airport should be allowed within a 150 km radius of an existing airport.

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said the rule was “infructuous” right from the beginning. Officials said the rule was brought in after discussions with private players who threw up the idea.

“We want the private sector to have the confidence if we want them to make long-term investments. But that should not become an impediment to other development. Then what are the legal implications? The overall look is one angle. The legal implications are another angle. Keeping these two in mind we have to see what is in India’s interest as ultimately a decision should be in the interest of the country,” the Minister told BusinessLine.

Asked whether the Ministry was undertaking a study on the rule, the Minister said there has to be a study as there was a need to examine all options and reasoning for taking a particular decision.
27/08/14 Ashwini Phadnis/Amit Mitra/Business Line
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