After ports and energy, Adani Group now takes aim at airports

MUMBAI: Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) is set to become India’s largest private airport operator, marking a step forward in its ambitious plan to establish a dominating presence in the civil aviation sector as it has in its current businesses of ports and energy.

The Adani Group flagship will become the largest operator of airports other than state-run Airports Authority of India (AAI), with the Union cabinet approving the transfer of six airports on 50-year leases to AEL.

AEL will take control of the airports in Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Jaipur, Thiruvananthapuram, and Guwahati. AEL’S plans have faced headwinds with the economic disruptions caused by Covid-19.

The Adani Group is also facing opposition from the Kerala government over the Thiruvananthapuram airport. In its FY20 annual report, AEL gave a glimpse of its ambition to be the largest private airport developer in the country, breaking the duopoly of the GMR and GVK business groups.

The report lists its aim for the airports division as developing world-class infrastructure at airports, both at airside and landside, enhancing the passenger experience, creating entertainment destinations, increasing domestic airline connectivity to new and underserved destinations, and increasing flights to long-haul destinations in the West and also to South-east Asia.