AERA Bill headed for Cabinet meet, set to get nod

To be modelled on the lines of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), AERA would mainly aim at ensuring a level playing field for all players. ‘‘In times to come, different operators would run different airports. The airlines need to be assured that tariffs charged from them would commensurate with the facilities being provided. A regulator outside the government system would set the tariffs and ensure performance targets are met,’’ said a Civil Aviation Ministry official.

However, not all airports would be brought under AERA’s purview immediately. The government is likely to notify, from time to time, the airports to be brought under the Act’s purview. Officials said the idea is not to overburden a regulator with unnecessary work all of a sudden. However, officials said airports in private hands would surely be brought under the Act.

AERA, said officials, would, apart from issuing guidelines to service providers, finalise the various aeronautical and non-aeronautical charges and also act as an arbitrator between users and service providers. Ministry officials said the presence of a regulator like AERA would generate a lot of investor confidence.