Chartered plane parking charges may be increased
expansion plan of Delhi airport may affect the movement of chartered planes and increase the cost of business travellers as Delhi airport operator is coming up with a policy to hike parking charges and even revoke parking slots.
The Business Aircraft Operators Association has said that Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) is not providing additional parking stands as promised and has even threatened to cancel ones already allocated.
“Two years ago, DIAL had committed to build 70 more parking stands. But instead of doing that, they are coming up with a policy from Friday, which will affect the operation of chartered aircraft severely. The number of parking stands has remained 28 since 2005. Around 45-50 chartered plane movements take place at the airport every day,” said Rajesh Bali, managing director of the association.
Bali claimed that small aircraft and non-scheduled operators were being made scapegoats.
While about 1,200 scheduled flights operate from Delhi airport every day, an additional 40-50 small non-scheduled chartered planes also take-off or land at the airport daily.
“The general aviation policy is one-sided and treats the small aircraft industry unfairly, with unjustified restrictions of slot allotments and parking,” Bali added.
The draft of the new policy being implemented by DIAL reads: “Nothing contained in this policy shall be considered as an assurance, representation or guarantee as to the availability of a parking slot or grant of permission for movement of a GA flight”.
“Even as DIAL proposes an action plan towards decongesting the airport, they have turned a blind eye to the requirement of non-scheduled operators and small aircraft and are further imposing restrictions by illegally levying higher parking charges,” Bali said.
As per the new policy, there will be an hourly charge for parking of private aircraft after 48 hours.
DIAL had planned a dedicated terminal and parking bays for private jets before 2020, but construction for the project is yet to begin. Airport official said that VIPs prefer to travel in a private jet and currently all such plane movements take place from Terminal 1 and 3.
“The Delhi airport has a special lounge at Terminal 1 and about 70 general aviation companies have their offices at a building in front of the terminal. The airport operator is planning to shift all of them to one place,” said an airport source.
DIAL refused to comment despite repeated attempts by HT.
superintendent of police of Gautam Budh Nagar, Love Kumar, on Friday expressed concern over the way police handled the case of Manipuri student, who died last week and was cremated without making efforts to identify the victim.
“I am extremely sorry for what happened. It is clearly due to the lapses of some police personnel, who did not follow prescribed procedure after the missing complaint was lodged and when he was found dead,” said the SSP to the kin of Pravish Chanam, who had come to meet him in his office at Surajpur.
Taking cognizance of the lapses, Kumar on Thursday suspended three police officers and shunted the station house officer of Knowledge Park to the Police Lines. On Friday, the SSP suspended two more policemen — both constables — after it was found that they did not report the matter on time.
Meanwhile, the North East Forum for International Solidarity (NEFIS) slammed the police for shoddy investigation demanding a CBI probe.
On Friday afternoon, around 100 students and activists belonging to NEFIS staged a protest outside Senior Superintendent of Police office in Surajpur, Greater Noida demanding CBI inquiry.