AAI takes back Jet premises at Patna airport to cut losses

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has taken back the premises occupied by Jet Airways at the Patna airport and prepared an inventory list of all its items here following failure of the airline to pay the rental charges.

The airlines owes the AAI approximately Rs 15 lakh in rentals for the premises it occupied at the Jai Prakash Narayan International airport here, said officials of the AAI.

“The decision to take over the premises of Jet follows a communication from AAI headquarters, New Delhi, received here on May 3,” said Santosh Kumar, assistant general manager, air traffic management, AAI-Patna.

Jet Airways used to occupy a ticketing counter, equipment and baggage make-up area, back office, engineering office on the operations area side, ramp equipment area and a cargo warehouse on the city side of the airport.

The Jet was unable to pay rental for the area it occupied at the airport from March, said airlines sources. It operated the last flight from Patna on March 25 before winding up its operations pan-India on April 17, following a financial crisis.

The airline operated a maximum of five daily scheduled flights from Patna and a flight to Delhi via Allahabad thrice a week. It used to provide Patnaites connectivity with Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Allahabad.

Meanwhile, the airlines has decided to return to the local firm all computers and printers it had taken on lease for carrying out its operations here. This would, however, depend on the AAI, which has prepared a joint inventory along with the security officer of Jet Airways of the items available here.

“We received a communication from the AAI-Patna, asking us to vacate the premises we occupied at Patna airport and prepare a joint inventory list of our items there. While we helped the AAI prepare our inventory list, we requested it to allow us to retain our items on the premises till such time the AAI gets an offer from any other firm to take up our premises on rent. We have handed over the keys of our premises to the AAI,” said Sanjay Yadav, station manager, Jet Airways, Patna airport.

He was, however, not aware of how much the airline owed the AAI. Yadav said the bills raised by the AAI were settled by its regional office in Kolkata.

The government decision on Jet was for all airports under the AAI.

“We have taken over Jet office space as has been done at all other AAI airport,” said airport director B C H Negi.

First Published: May 21, 2019 14:33 IST