Airports run by govt may offer water at MRP, cheap snacks

IN A CIRCULAR TO AIRPORTS DIRECTORS, AAI HAS ASKED FOR A SEPARATE COUNTER WHERE WATER, SNACKS ARE SOLD AT MRP

NEW DELHI: Packaged drinking water will soon be available at maximum retail price (MRP), and tea and snacks at low rates at more than 90 governmentrun airports in the country following an order from Airports Authority of India (AAI) triggered by a spate of passenger complaints, two officials familiar with the development said.

In a circular sent to airports directors in August, AAI has asked for a separate counter where packaged water and snacks are sold at MRP, and to bring in a master concessiondirectors aire to reduce the rate of cooked food items. Tenders have to be floated by next financial year.

This rule will, however, not apply to some of India’s biggest airports — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi.

These airports are operated by private companies.

“We have asked airport to ask the company that is managing food courts at airports to have a counter where water bottles and sandwiches are sold at MRP. We have also told them to sell tea and coffee at ₹10. They will also ensure that some cheap snacks, such as samosa, are sold at lesser rates. The concessionaire can have other items at different rates, but there has to be some basic items at reasonable prices,” said a senior AAI official who asked not to be named.

Some of the busiest airports operated by AAI in terms of traffic are Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Patna and Guwahati.

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