Airlines, airports suffer `20K cr losses

Airlines and airports have incurred losses of more than Rs 20,000 crore in FY21. Domestic airlines have more than Rs 2,700 crore outstanding dues to the Airports Authority of India.

In the pandemic year of FY21, airlines are estimated to have incurred losses of about Rs 19,564 crore and airports have made losses of Rs 5,116 crore, the civil aviation ministry told the Rajya Sabha.

The aviation sector has been affected by the severe disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the ministry said. Due to the outbreak, scheduled domestic operations were suspended with effect from March 25, 2020. The operations were resumed in a calibrated manner with effect from May 25 with 33 per cent of the capacity and fare capping to ensure that airlines do not charge excessive fare. The capacity restrictions have been relaxed from October 18 and the domestic operations have been restored without any capacity restrictions.

Some airlines have defaulted on clearance of their dues due to the losses. Air India had outstanding dues of Rs 2,350.62 crore to the Airports Authority of India up to September 2021. Alliance Air has Rs 109.81 crore dues, SpiceJet Rs 185.52 crore and Go Air Rs 56.53 crore.

The ministry also informed the Upper House that government departments and autonomous bodies owed Air India Rs 244.78 crore as on September 30, 2021. Out of this, Rs 30.38 crore has been recovered as on November 30.

In 2014, 74 airports were operational in India and in the last five years, seven greenfield airports have been operationalised. Additionally under Udan scheme, 63 airports, comprising 8 greenfield airports, two water aerodromes and six heliports connecting 395 routes, have been operationalised.

So far, 155,576 flights have been operated till November 14, 2021 under the Udan scheme.