Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Malaysia keen on Chennai airport lease

By T.S. Shankar

CHENNAI May 19. With the Centre planning to privatise the four major metro airports through a leasing arrangement, Malaysia shows interest in taking on lease the Chennai airport, thanks to its proximity to South-East Asia.

A four-member team of officials visited the airport on the directions of the Malaysian Transport Minister, Ling Liong Sik, and assessed the infrastructure there.

The leasing is for a period of 30 years, after which the infrastructure will be handed back to the international airports division of the Airports Authority of India (IAD-AAI), custodian of terminal buildings in India.

Any agency taking the airport on lease is expected to pump in resources to upgrade facilities to international standards. A significant improvement to check-in facilities and at immigration counters and provision of more aerobridges, baggage conveyor belts and duty-free shops are possible. Even terminal transfer facilities should be enhanced. According to sources, Malaysia, having built a new international airport in Kuala Lumpur just four years ago, will be ideally placed to develop the Chennai airport.

Although, in commercial terms, New Delhi or Mumbai is more attractive, Chennai may be the natural choice for Malaysia in view of its ``ethnic links and frequency of flights''.

The Malaysian team was shown the facilities available at the Kamaraj domestic terminal and the Anna international terminal, besides the integrated air cargo complex.

The team, which made enquiries about the total workforce of the airport, its revenue and expenditure, was taken round the Rs.100-crore ``Departure module'', now under construction by the IAD-AAI. This module, to be ready by March next, will ease congestion at the Anna international terminal.

The visit of the delegation assumes significance as the Malaysia Airlines System currently operates daily Airbus flights between Chennai and Kuala Lumpur, a bi-weekly service to Bangalore, once-a- week service to Hyderabad and four-times-a week service each to Mumbai and New Delhi.

The MAS wants to spread its wings in India, especially in the south. The need for enhanced presence of the Malaysia Airlines was impressed on the Indian Civil Aviation authorities.

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