New Delhi: Gautam Adani led Adani Enterprises is all set to enter the airport sector as his company has won bids of five airports out of six. Currently, these airports are with the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Adani’s company had the highest bids for Jaipur, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, Ahmedbad and Lucknow airports.

According to sources, Adani will operate with 50 years of lease with a possibility of renewing it. Adani Enterprises aggressively bid for these five airports, sources said.

Media reports claimed, for Ahmedabad airport, GMR, which operates Delhi and Hyderabad airports, quoted Rs 85 per passenger but Adani quoted doubled the amount, Rs 177 per passenger. Similarly, for Lucknow airport, Adani quoted Rs 171 while the next highest bid was quoted by AMP Capital with Rs 139.

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This deal will give a big competition to airport sector giants like GMR and GVK. Adani will also break the duopoly in the airport sector as the government has allowed a new company without experience in the airport sector.

Adani’s company will be responsible to operate airports in five major cities. These airports will have a fresh look soon, like Delhi after GMR took over the national capital’s airport.

According to reports, in the last four years, Adani’s group has made an entry into four new business segments — wind energy, solar manufacturing, power distribution, and aerospace and defence. Once Adani will complete all formalities, the airports will be handed over to his company.
 
In November last year, the government had cleared a proposal for managing six AAI-run airports on public-private partnership (PPP) basis. 

Ahmedabad and Jaipur airports received seven bids each while Lucknow and Guwahati got six apiece. Mangaluru and Thiruvananthapuram received three bids each.

The move to manage the six airports on PPP basis, according to AAI, is part of an initiative to provide world-class infrastructure and services to stakeholders. 

(With inputs from agencies)