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Synopsis

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), led by the GMR Group, has moved the Delhi High Court to challenge the Central government's approval for commercial flight operations from the Hindon Indian Air Force station in Ghaziabad.

The bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad issued notices to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Wednesday.

Court sought the stand of the Center and AAI on the petition. The case is scheduled for the next hearing on March 5, 2024.

DIAL contends that the MCA's decision on October 31, 2023, permitting AAI to conduct scheduled commercial flights from Hindon Airforce Station, is detrimental not only to Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI Airport) but also to the upcoming Jewar airport and Hindon Airforce Station itself. The DIAL argues that allowing flights from Hindon would create three weak airports, competing and diminishing each other's revenues.

The petition challenges the government's actions as tantamount to establishing a greenfield airport at Hindon, contrary to MCA's policy, which generally prohibits greenfield airports within 150 km of an existing airport. Exceptions are allowed only if the existing airport is saturated and cannot expand further to accommodate more passengers.

DIAL asserts that the conditions for Hindon are not met, as IGI Airport can still handle projected traffic, and no new viable focal point for traffic has emerged at Hindon.

The plea claims that the decision fails to consider the ongoing development of a greenfield airport at Jewar, with a projected capacity exceeding 100 million passengers per annum within the 150-kilometer radius of IGI Airport, creating a total passenger capacity of about 250 million per annum in the National Capital Region, projected to be sufficient until 2050.

Case Title: Delhi International Airport Limited v. Union of India & Anr.