Adani Group aims to bid for more airports, says CEO Bansal
text_fields
New Delhi: The Adani Group is planning to bid for more airports in India as part of its efforts to become the leading airport operator in the country. CEO Arun Bansal on Wednesday said that Adani Airports will participate in the bidding for 12 airports over the next few years.
The Indian government is expected to privatise around 12 airports in the near future. Adani Airports, one arm of billionaire Gautam Adani's conglomerate, has already won the bid to operate six airports.
Speaking at the CAPA Summit, Bansal discussed the huge potential in the Indian market that Adani Airports sees. He believes that the unwavering focus on the Indian market can help the company expand its airport business. "Cost of operating airports should come down by 30-50 percent in a few years due to higher-tech adoption. Airports plan for 5–10 years and replan as they approach capacity constraints. Adani Airports has a 40-year vision. And Operational Scale is a focus," reported Reuters.
The executive noted that additional revenue should also be generated from the 3-4 people who accompany each passenger to the airport. Speaking about the CSMIA and Navi Mumbai Airports, he said the group is working with the state government. "We want to look at the two airports as 2 terminals, not 2 airports."
He added that all vehicles on the airside in Navi Mumbai airport are already running on green energy and the entire airport will soon run on 100% green energy. "Phase 1 of the airport is expected to be launched by December 2024 with a capacity of 20 million passengers."
He asserted that there is no rethink on the pace of expansion and it is following investments as per plans submitted to the government.
When asked about the future of Adani Airports in the face of recent challenges faced by the group, Bansal said: "No. We have committed and submitted our plans to the government. Whatever plans we have submitted, we are following our investments. What we have submitted to the government is a public document."
He added that India has the geographical advantage to become one of the world's biggest aviation hubs.
