BAOA raises alarm over airport's decision to halt jet parking, ET Infra
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Mumbai, Business Aircraft Operators Association has sought the civil aviation ministry's intervention to reverse Mumbai airport's decision to evict private jet operators from the airport's parking facilities by July 31, saying the proposed terms are prohibitive.Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), part of Adani group, is operating the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in the city.In a letter to Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, BAOA's Managing Director R K Bali said CSMIA is a public asset and public assets should be available to all stakeholders in a fair and equitable manner without any discrimination."The terms now sought to be imposed by MIAL upon the GA/BA operators are prohibitive and make the entire operation unviable and are intended to oust the GA/BA operators from the asset. Accordingly, it is crucial for MoCA to intervene and uphold legal and policy safeguards for the GA/BA sector in India," the letter.BAOA represents various General Aviation and Business Aviation (GA/BA) operators, including Hindalco Industries, Reliance Commercial Dealers Ltd., Reliance Transport & Travels, Taj Air, JSW Steel, Grasim Industries, Futura Travels and Larsen & Toubro.Seeking the ministry's intervention on the parking facilities issue, BAOA said the directions issued regarding the eviction of GA/BA operators from Mumbai airport's parking facilities by July 31 should be cancelled or suspended till the time there is a decision on alternative space allocation for the operators.The grouping also mentioned that given commonality of ownership and proximity of both CSMIA and NMIA (Navi Mumbai International Airport) within the metropolitan region, a coordinated management of GA/BA traffic should have been operationally and commercially feasible.MIAL holds a 74 per cent stake in NMIAL (Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd), the operator of the upcoming airport."As of today, GA/BA operators are already facing difficulties and uncertainties in carrying out their operations due to the non-cooperative conduct of MIAL and NMIAL. It is evident from the above that the GA/BA operators are facing an imminent threat of eviction from their parking spaces w.e.f. 31.07.2025 which they have been using for several years and there is no alternate phased relocation at the moment either at CSMIA or NMIA," the letter said.>
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