SURAT: Airports Authority of India (AAI) is incurring heavy losses on the operations and maintenance of Surat airport.
As per the information made available under Right To Information Act, AAI stated that Ahmedabad airport is the only airport in Gujarat earning profits for it, reports The Times of India.
During 2016-17, Ahmedabad airport earned revenue worth Rs 67.27 crore. However, AAI incurred heavy losses to the tune of Rs 40.82 crore in the operations and maintenance of Surat airport.
AAI incurred losses to the tune of Rs 118.95 crore in operating 10 airports in Gujarat during 2016-17. AAI had incurred loss to the tune of Rs 86.07 crore during 2015-16.
The other loss-making airports in the state during 2016-17 included Vadodara, which incurred loss to the tune of Rs 19.18 crore, Bhavnagar airport at Rs 13.20 crore, Rajkot airport at Rs 17.66 crore, Bhuj airport at Rs 4.43 crore, Porbandar airport at Rs 13.05 crore, Kandla at Rs 6.24 crore and Jamnagar at Rs 2.75 crore.
Airport activists crusading for increased air connectivity from Surat airport believe that the AAI can cover up the losses in operating the airports in the state provided air connectivity is increased in key centres like Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Bhavnagar.
Surat Airport Action Committee (SAAC) president Sanjay Ezhawa, who had sought the information under RTI, said, “It is the need of the hour that the central government immediately approve the status of international airport for Surat. Passenger traffic from the Diamond City has huge potential for domestic as well as international destinations. At present, monthly passenger flow from Surat airport is recorded at 62,000 passengers with availability of limited destinations.”
