Airport privatization process: Bidders returned fearing employees protest
Mangaluru, Jan 15: Representatives of three companies who have arrived at the Mangaluru airport for spot verification on Monday as part of the Mangaluru International Airport privatization process, have returned without evaluating the airport due to protest from airport employees.
In view of the privatization of Mangaluru International Airport proposal of the central government, representatives of Indus, GMR and National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Companies visited the airport.
After getting information about this, more than 60 airport employees resorted to protest due to which the teams of those companies have returned without conducting evaluating process.
As part of privatizing process of six airports in the country including Mangaluru international airport, the companies have participated in the bidding process. The bidders could evaluate the respective airports In the beginning. So, the representatives of these three companies have visited the airport on Monday at 10 am.
But the airport employees staged the protest with a slogan “go back private parties, go back”. This protest has forced the private companies to go back.
The central government has decided to privatise Guwahati, Lucknow, Trivandrum, Hyderabad and Jaipur airports. But the All India Airport Employees Association has strongly opposed the central government’s decision to privatise the profit-making airports in the country which have all basic infrastructures.
Speaking to Varthabharathi, Mangaluru Airport Employees Association president Aravind said that “We do not have any objection about the private companies building new airports and providing basic infrastructure.
But these airports were built with the public money worth lakhs of crores and provided all basic infrastructure and making good profits and we are opposing the stand of the centre govt to privatise the profit-making public sector airports.
The decision is not good for both the public and employees. Mangaluru airport has got good response from the foreign travelers also. If the commercial activities are encouraged after privatization, it would affect the flight users as well as the employees. Condemning this, we have been protesting the central government’s decision”, he said.
“We have already submitted memorandums to the all concerned persons including the Chief Minister and all ministers against privatization process. When Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu visited the city, our delegation has met him and apprised him against the central government’s decision. We will continue our fight as per the direction of the national and state associations of the airport employees”, he clarified.
Secretary Shravan Kumar, Organizing secretary Sunil Kumar, Treasurer Shakeel and others participated in the protest.
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Airlines got 999 hoax bomb threats till Nov 14 this year; 256 FIRs filed: Govt
New Delhi, Nov 28: Airlines received 999 hoax bomb threats this year till November 14 and as many as 256 FIRs have been filed while guidelines have been issued by aviation security regulator BCAS for objective assessment of threats, the government said on Thursday.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said a total of 1,148 hoax bomb threat messages/calls have been received since August 2022 till November 14, 2024 threatening the operations of international and domestic air travel.
While 999 threats were received by airlines during the period from January to November 14, 2024, the count stood at 122 last year and at 27 for the August-December 2022 period.
"256 FIRs have been filed since January 2024 till 14 November 2024, out of which 163 FIRs have been filed during 14 October- 14 November 2024. 12 arrests have been made in view of hoax bomb threat since January 2024 till 14 November 2024," the minister said.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has issued guidelines for objective assessment of threats. The indicative factor has been useful in reducing time taken by the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) during the decision-making process.
"Also, to reduce the overall time taken for convening BTAC to less than 5 minutes, virtual assembly of BTAC through pre-generated video link has been set up. Further, advisories for compulsory 10 per cent of secondary ladder point check-in for all flights, strict monitoring of non-scheduled flight operations, enhanced security measures and surveillance at cargo terminals were issued," Mohol said.
Further, the minister said the government is considering amending the Aircraft (Security) Rules, 2023 to put hoax threat messenger in the no-fly list.
"It is also being considered to amend Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation for covering Aircraft in flight as well as on ground, airport etc," he added.
