Date:04/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/03/04/stories/2007030403720100.htm

Back Bidding for Chennai, Kolkata airports to be completed soon

Ashwini Phadnis

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New Delhi March 3 With the merger of Air India and Indian behind it, the Ministry of Civil Aviation is now setting its sights on completing the bidding process for modernisation of Chennai and Kolkata airports within the next few months.

"The bidding for both the airports would be completed soon. One thing is for sure that the entire bidding process will be completed during the year," official sources told Business Line.

While declining to reveal the time line for the process, officials point to the fact that the Government has stuck to the deadlines set earlier by it for starting the merger process of Air India and Indian or modernisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports.

In Delhi and Mumbai, the completion of the bidding process saw the airports being transferred to two new joint venture companies that were mandated to complete the modernisation programme in a time-bound manner.

The need for completing the bidding in Chennai at the earliest is being felt as passenger numbers continue to grow. During the current year, the passenger handling capacity is likely to touch 7.55 million and rise to 8.91 million by 2009-10.