Private jet aircraft which have overstayed their welcome at the Mumbai International Airport will soon have to fork out a fine for the extended use of parking bays.
Penalty charges are to range between Rs 1,000 and Rs 15,000 per hour and will be imposed from July 15.
According to a Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) spokesperson, the fine is to discourage unauthorised parking at the airport.
The trigger was a private jet occupying the hangar for over 20 days at the Mumbai airport. The aircraft is owned by a prominent business house with interests in media, packaging, entertainment and infrastructure development. The MIAL levied a parking charge of Rs 6 lakh including penal charges. However, the company has refused to pay, said MIAL officials.
Mumbai airport has 28 parking bays in which more than 70-90 aircraft are parked. In 2007, just 30 private jets occupied the same spot. A certificate from the DGCA notifies the parking slots for private jets across all airports.
Top corporates like Tata, Reliance and Raymonds park their private jets at the CSIA (Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport). Private taxi operators like Religare Aviation, Deccan Charters and Invision Air among others, also occupy the parking bays.
Given the over-crowding and safety issues cited by MIAL, some of these jets were not allowed to fly out till they paid the penalty. Though some private jets have flown out, most have raised objections to the penalty. Aircraft also fly into CSIA for scheduled maintenance.
The Business Aircraft Operator’s Association (BAOA), which comprises private jet owners, has protested vociferously against the penalty.
“An aircraft registered in India can be used anywhere in the country and its movement cannot be restricted to limited airports, as this defeats the very purpose of private aircraft,” said Captain Karan Singh, Managing Director, BAOA.
The BAOA members said that no airport imposes such penalties on parked jets. “This is the first time that such an illogical penalty is being imposed on us. If any airport has operational requirements or limited parking space, for instance in Goa, the information is provided in advance. In that case, you can fly to Goa, but park the jet elsewhere,” Capt Singh said.
The BAOA will meet MIAL officials early next week to sort out the issue. “We are evaluating all options right now and looking for an amicable solution,” he added.