AAI unions to stage protest against airports privatisation

Mumbai: The joint forum of AAI unions and associations will take out a protest march at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Thursday against airports privatisation.

Last year, the government had decided to privatise airports in Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, and Guwahati for operation, management and development through public-private partnership (PPP) model. The forum alleges that the government has "unilaterally" decided to privatise dozens of profit-making airports, which is neither in public interest nor for better management of these aerodromes.

The AAI manages around 120 airports in the country with a workforce of around 17,000. The AAI unions/associations recently formed the forum to protect and safeguard the AAI and interests of its employees besides explaining the impact of the privatisation. The forum comprises the Airports Authority of India (AAI) employees union, Airports Authority Officers Association and Indian Airports Kamgar Union. The AAI employees have been protesting against the move since the Government handed over six of its airports to Adani group in February this year.