Indian Airlines to set up ground handling facility

Indian Airlines approved the setting up of a subsidiary to handle airport handling and allied service in its board meeting here.

IA has also constituted a committee to assess and finalise requirements of additional lease aircraft capacity, says a release. The subsidiary will have a paid-up capital of Rs 10 crore and an authorised capital of Rs 100 crore. It is expected to later form a joint venture with a foreign company for offering ground handling services at airports at a later stage. As per a recent decision of the Cabinet, only government entities such as Air-India, IA and Airports Authority of India can offer ground handling services. They can, in turn, form joint ventures with foreign companies for the purpose. The decision has not been notified and there is still uncertainty about its implementation.