Delhi?s airport underwent a high profile and contested hand-over to private management. So, it?s no surprise that consumer dissatisfaction should become a political issue. But a spat between Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Praful Patel, liberalisers both, is intriguing. Perhaps it?s a turf thing. The Planning Commission does have a role in infrastructure, and the civil aviation ministry is the nodal authority here. No one is saying that privatised airports should be given back to the AAI. But they just may. Certainly, the delayed reform of Chennai and Kolkata airports may lose more momentum if unhappiness over Delhi airport grows. So let?s remember that the AAI-run Delhi airport was pathetic by global standards. It handled fewer people than now, and was still a mess. Let?s also remember airport transformation is a complicated business. Managers of the world?s busiest airport, London Heathrow, have been skewered for the botched opening of the new Terminal 5, not to mention delays at its old terminals.
All this is, of course, not to argue that Delhi airport?s management is beyond improvement. Indeed, the management may have better anticipated the combined pressure of high traffic and high security needs. It can?t be faulted for saying that major changes will take time. But congestion must and can be handled better. Patel makes an important point here, by saying immigration and security services are in the government?s hands and more manpower for these functions are a must if passengers are to get better service. The best guarantee of good service, however, is competition. And here, the debate may need to change a bit. The government was wrong in trying to keep public sector airports open while awarding contracts for new private airports. But look beyond government calculations?large cities can be served by more than one airport, and competition ought to turn the consumer experience around. Competition authorities in the UK are already considering separating the ownership of Heathrow and London?s two other airports. Delhi is a large city getting larger, and a plan for a second airport is no stranger in policy circles. Just as AAI was ignored when privatising airports, any protest from existing private managements should be ignored when greenlighting a second airport.
