Government plans no-frills airports to bring down flying costs

New Delhi: The government is planning to build small airports with rudimentary facilities, in order to bring down the cost of flying.

Such airports will be a world apart from the swanky ones at Delhi and Mumbai. As per a blueprint being prepared by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), these airports, which will be located in small towns, will lack conveyor belts, arrival lounges and even air-conditioning. Luggage will have to be checked in manually. One air traffic control (ATC) tower will cater to a number of such airports.

Indian carriers may benefit from Changi Airport's fee reduction drive

Munbai:  In a move that could improve the profitability of carriers offering flights between India and Singapore, the Changi Airport Group is set to reduce the operational charges for airlines. Though the move has been welcomed by carriers, passengers may not see an immediate reduction in fares, according to analysts.

Currently, Jet Airways, Singapore Airlines, SilkAir, Indigo, TigerAir and Air India offer direct flights between various Indian cities and Singapore’s Changi Airport, which is managed by the Changi Airport Group.

A recent directive from the airport says that all airlines operating from Changi Airport are to get an ‘across-the-board reduction’ in operating charges.

Private Airport Operators Demand Tax Benefits in Budget

Mumbai: Association of Private Airport Operators has demanded infrastructure status for airport support services and sought various tax benefits in the first Union Budget of the Narendra Modi government.
The private airport lobby group has also supported the airlines' demand of including Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) in 'Declared Goods' category to bring about a uniform tax across the country.
In a memorandum to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, APAO has suggested that private airport operators should be allowed to issue tax free bonds for creation of aviation infrastructure as was allowed in Railways, power, housing and highways development.

IATA wants Modi Govt to slash taxes, airport charges

Doha:   Prime Minister Narendra Modi has another admirer. But this time, the admiration comes with a request — to allow Gulf-based carriers more flying rights.
The CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker, said he was touched by Modi’s speech after he was sworn in, when he said that “if each Indian takes one step forward, that will be 1.2 billion steps”.
For the aviation industry in India, the potential is so huge that even if you allot capacity to every airline that is applying to fly to India, you will still have load factors in excess of 80 per cent, said Al Baker, who is also President of the 70th IATA assembly here.