Once again there has been unrest in India over concerns about ground handling. This time the focus is on self-handling; in particular, the decision taken late last year to allow Air India Air Transport Services (an Air India affiliate) to carry out ground handling at Chandigarh International, where handling has traditionally been performed by the airlines themselves.
The AAI is relying on the 2007 framework regulations (which required permanent employees of airlines at airports to perform ground operations but obliged private airlines to either to hire contract workers or use external agencies) to substantiate its activity at Chandigarh.
Whilst ministry sources have revealed it was keen to allow airlines to handle flights on their own, the home ministry has expressed concern, suggesting that service providers at airports could pose a security risk. The draft civil aviation policy might allow airlines to hire fixed-term workers and look after some ground handling services on their own.
