Bangalore: A consortium led by India's flag carrier Air-India and Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) besides Globe Ground India Private Limited have been selected as strategic partners for operating two independent ground-handling services at the upcoming Bangalore International Airport.

Talks

"The Bangalore International Airport Limited is currently in talks with the two short-listed ground handling service providers and hope to sign the concession agreement sometime in October", officials said.

Though Bangalore International Airport Limited had evaluated the technical and financial bids submitted by nine entities and short-listed Air India-SATS and Globe Ground India in April this year for ground handling operations at the new international airport, a final decision was held back in view of the impending new civil aviation policy to be announced by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation. Singapore stock exchange-listed SATS runs ground-handling services at the Changi Airport in Singapore.

Joint venture

Globe Ground India is a joint venture between German airline Lufthansa and New Delhi-based Bird Group.

Globe Ground India is the only company approved by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for providing ground-handling services at Indian airports.

"While short-listing the two ground-handling service providers, Bangalore International Airport Limited has kept in mind the announcement of the new civil aviation policy and has taken necessary measures to ensure that the service providers rights do not conflict with the policy to be announced," the official said adding that the final agreement to be signed with the two strategic partners would accommodate the new policy to be announced by the Centre.

Decision

Bangalore International Airport Limited has taken the decision to go ahead with the award of contracts keeping in mind the time required by the two strategic partners for setting up safe and efficient ground-handling operations and to ensure that the airport opens on schedule in April 2008, the official said.

Second contract

This will be the second contract to be awarded to the Air India-SATS consortium by Bangalore International Airport Limited. In May, the same consortium was selected by Bangalore International Airport Limited as one of the strategic partners to handle cargo for 20 years at the new airport.

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