Opposition To Privatisation Of Kozhikode International Airport (Image: kozhikodeairport.com)

The Central Government’s proposal to turn the profit earning Kozhikode International Airport at Malappuram into private hands face tough political disapproval. The move came as the Union Minister of State for Aviation, V. K. Singh, told the Upper House that, along with other airports, the Kozhikode International Airport would also be handed over to private players within two years. This, he added was as decided before.

This move was contested by the IUML (Indian Union Muslim League), which has a solid base in the district, saying that it was unnecessary to privatise the third largest profit minting airport of AAI (Airports Authority of India) which falls in the Public sector’s Miniratna category.

On this, Onmanorama reported, MP Abdussamad Samadani as saying: “for years we have been demanding the Centre to take initiatives for the further development of the airport. This would help attract more aircraft and passengers thereby improving its revenue”. Further Onmanorama, added that he opined, “profit making airport could continue in the public sector”.

In the data on the airport’s performance, tabled by the Aviation Ministry, the net profit made by Karipur International Airport was 95.38 crore for 2022-23, with Chennai and Kolkata ahead with 169.50 crore and 482.30 core for the same period. The maintenance of these airports is delegated to the AAI. The move for privatisation is on the basis that private sector is expected to attract more crowd, better airlines and enhanced connectivity and also faster development than the Public sector.

Meanwhile, the other airports which have come under the privatization move which is to be completed by 2025 are Bubaneshwar, Amritsar, Tiruchirapalli, Varanasi, Raipur, Coimbatore, Indore, Nagpur, Patna, Surat, Ranchi, Mathura, Jodhpur, Chennai, Vijayawada, Vadodara, Tirupati, Hubli, Bhopal, Inphal, Agartala, Udaipur, Rajahmundry and Dehradun.