File photo of Airport Authority of India employees
Employees of state-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI) will go on mass casual leave on Friday to protest against the government's intervention in the functioning of AAI.
"The government has accorded miniratna status to AAI but it is not allowing financial and administrative autonomy, as it is contemplating public-private partnership for operations of Chennai and Kolkata airports.
AAI has invested more than Rs 5,000 crore on modernisation," Balraj Singh Ahlawat, General Secretary of Airports Authority Employees' Union, said.
We are serving a legal notice of mass causal leave for June 21 to oppose these moves, he said.
AAI has invested sizable amount on non-metro airports and now the Planning Commission is directing the Civil Aviation Ministry to proceed for PPP model by not allowing AAI to manage the airports, he added.
The union also alleged that the government was shifting the AAI's sovereign responsibility of airspace management, as per International Civil Aviation Organisation resolution, but "the government is forming Air Navigation Services organisation to hive off this sovereign responsibility."
Mr Ahlawat also accused the government of not implementing the recommendations of Tripartite Committee or Parliamentary Committee in re-operationalisation of Begumpet airport in Hyderabad and HAL airport in Bangalore.
Both the airports are closed for commercial operations after construction of greenfield airports in Hyderabad and Bangalore. The airports are used for airshows and other training purposes.
"AAI has built and executed a lot of foreign projects with its technical expertise and workforce. It is capable of maintaining the airports at par with international standards," he said.