Kerala HC refuses to stay privatisation of Thiruvananthapuram airport

The Kerala High Court, on Tuesday, refused to grant interim stay on leasing out operation, management and development Thiruvananthapuram airport to a private party.

Considering a petition filed by the Kerala government opposing cetre's decision to leasing out the airport to Adani Group, the court sought more details about the matter. A detailed hearing on the matter would be conducted next month. The state's plea for interim stay on the leasing out procedures was not allowed by the court.

The state had approached the High Court last year also against privatisation of the airport. However the HC then reject the petition citing the no steps were initiated then to handover the airport to private party. The state subsequently approached the SC and in February the SC returned the petition to the HC with a directive to consider it. But no fresh steps were taken thereafter and hence the state now approached the HC again.

The Kerala Assembly also passed a joint resolution recently on Monday urging the centre to reconsider the decision to hand over Thiruvananthapuram international airport operation, management and development to Adani Group. The state had been demanding that a special purpose vehicle with Kerala government equity participation shall be handed over the airport at the rate quoted by Adani Group.

While the Adani group won the bid for the airport by quoting a fee of Rs. 162 per passenger to the AAI, the SPV formed by state government quoted only Rs. 135.