MUMBAI: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s plan to auction 12 more airports and further open up the Indian airspace does little to relieve the immediate financial stress that the aviation sector is under.
Industry experts say the government’s move to raise capital through auctioning 50-year airport concessions will find few takers at a time when fliers are grounded and airlines are struggling to survive.
On day four of her five-day economic stimulus announcements, Sitharaman said the bid process for six new airports will begin immediately, while another six will be placed on the table later for round three of bidding.