TEAM HERALD
NEW DELHI: Civil Aviation Minister Ashok G R Pusapati has ordered an inquiry into the security threat to the Indian Navy’s Dabolim air base from deployment of a private ground handler in violation of rules for the commercial flights operating from the joint use defence airports.
Both Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) are in the dock for clearing the National Aviation Services India Pvt Limited (NAS) to handle the ground operations in violation of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) rules that only the national carrier Air India (AI) or its subsidiary company shall provide ground handling services at the joint use defence airports.
Civil Aviation Secretary V Somasundaran has been asked to probe how NAS was allowed to operate from the Dabolim airport and also investigate a complaint from the Air India Air Transport Services about the backdoor entry of Cambata Aviation, another ground handler, at this airport. The Air India body, which has the exclusive right to provide ground handling services to the commercial airlines at the Goa airport, has complained about the security threat from the parking of an unauthorised equipment of Aircon, a ground handler for Cambata Aviation, at the airport premises with the AAI.
It pointed out that the government should stop such encroachment by the private handlers at the airports as otherwise many other airliners will also try to bring in their preferred ground handlers, noting that Emirates, which operates at 10 Indian airports, including some from the defence airfields, have been already pressing for engaging Dubai-based DNATA to handle their ground work.
Sources said the minister was shocked to learn that the BCAS that has the responsibility of security at all airports in the country had given the security clearance to the two private ground handlers just on the pretext that the AAI has already given them permission to operate. They said the prime responsibility of BCAS is to secure the airports and flights from all kinds of security risks.
