IANS | 25 Jan, 2024
The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) on Wednesday filed a
petition before the Delhi High Court challenging the Civil Aviation
Ministry's decision to permit the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to
start scheduled commercial flight operations at Hindon Airforce Station
in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad.
DIAL, a joint venture of the GMR-led
consortium and respondent No 2 (AAI), holds exclusive rights and
responsibilities for the operation, maintenance, development, and
management of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) under the
operation management and development agreement.
The petition
argues that the decision to establish a greenfield airport at Hindon
Airforce Station violates established policies, including the 1997
Policy, Greenfield Airports Policy, and the National Civil Aviation
Policy, which restrict new airports within 150 km of existing ones.
The
DIAL contends that IGIA is well-equipped to meet projected traffic
requirements and that the Hindon project would negatively impact the
economic viability of existing and upcoming airports.
The petition also cites the significant investments made by DIAL and its concessionaires in expanding and upgrading the IGIA.
Moreover,
it raises concerns about a conflict of interest, as the AAI, a 26 per
cent shareholder in DIAL, is involved in the decision to operate flights
from Hindon Airforce Station.
The petition seeks to set aside
the impugned decision, proposal, and communication related to the Hindon
project. The court has sought the stand of the Central governement and
the AAI, and the next hearing is likely to take place next in March.
