Centre weighs rescue package for airlines
The Union government is considering a relief package for airlines to help tide over a squeeze in cash flows and severe business disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, said a person familiar with the development, requesting anonymity.
The steps being considered include staggered payments for jet fuel to state-run oil marketing companies, as well as for parking and other charges at airports. “The government is looking into it,” he said, adding the relief measures could be announced soon.
State-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) manages 137 airports, while those in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad are run by private consortiums, wherein AAI is a stakeholder. Airlines pay charges for landing, parking and navigation services to airports.
