Adani Airport Holdings is considering bidding for ground handling services at Ahmedabad and Mumbai airports, says a report by Bloomberg. As per the report, Arun Bansal, CEO of the company, said at an aviation industry event that the company is evaluating bids for the two airports.
The development comes after the Indian government shut down the operations of the Turkish company Celebi Hava Servisi AS in India over security concerns after Turkey’s statement on the recent India-Pakistan conflict. Celebi was managing handling services at the Mumbai and Ahmedabad airports.
Adani Group’s Airport operation record
The Adani group operates eight airports in India. The two airports at Ahmedabad and Mumbai are also operated by the Adani conglomerate. The exit of Celebi gives a good opportunity for the Adani group to foray into ground handling operations as the is diversifying its existing airport operations and services.
Airport regulations on ground handling
As per the regulations of Indian airport regulation authorities, every airport that has a traffic of one million passengers every year should have at least three ground handlers. If the Adani group wins the bid, they will be the third ground handler at the airports of Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
Adani’s- Celebi agreement termination
Earlier on May 14, the Adani group had terminated its ground handling concession agreement with Celebi after the Indian government revoked the security clearance of Celebi. The agreement pertained to the same two airports in Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
Furthermore, the Adani group also terminated its partnership with the Chinese Company DragonPass, which provides digital access services to these airports’ lounges