COVID impact: Total outstanding dues of major domestic airlines to AAI rise to Rs 137.16 crore

The total outstanding dues of major domestic airlines to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) as of January 1 stand at Rs 137.16 crore, CNBC-TV18 has learnt. AAI charges airlines for using air navigation services, landing, parking among other facilities.

The highest pending dues are of SpiceJet and GoAir at Rs 33.74 crore and Rs 33.13 crore, respectively, sources said. While SpiceJet is making daily payment of Rs 60 lakh to settle the outstanding amount, GoAir made the latest payment to settle dues on November 25 of Rs 90 lakh.

GoAir and SpiceJet have been on cash and carry mode since August 11 and August 1, respectively.

It is important to note that GoAir had submitted a two-step plan to settle dues whereby it was to start making regular payments since October 2020 but it seems like that has been delayed a bit, sources said.

In fact, both GoAir and Alliance Air have not been making any payments to AAI to settle the pending dues. For Alliance Air, the regional arm of Air India, the total dues stand at Rs 12.22 crore, of which Rs 10.14 crore are dues up to June 2020 and Rs 2.08 crore are for the period with effect from July 2020.

AirAsia India is believed to have settled its dues up to June 2020 and its current dues to AAI stand at Rs 4.09 crore.

National carrier Air India is making payment of Rs 25 lakh daily to AAI on working days and its total dues stand at Rs 50.38 crore, of which Rs 4.32 crore are for period before July and Rs 46.06 crore are for the period with effect from July 1.

Its subsidiary Air India Express has cleared past dues up to June 2020 but its dues of the period starting July 2020 stand at Rs 3.59 crore.

India’s largest airline IndiGo and full-service carrier Vistara are the only two airlines which have cleared their dues up to June 2020 and current dues as well.

It is expected to be a difficult financial year for the airlines as well as airport operators, including the Airports Authority of India. In October 2020, CNBC-TV18 exclusively reported that AAI is likely to post a net loss of over Rs 1,000 crore during 2020-21 (Apr-Mar) on account of low revenues.