SpiceJet paying additional amount to AAI to clear outstanding dues

New Delhi: No-frills airline SpiceJet, which owes around Rs 100 crore to the national airports operator AAI for various airport charges, has been paying an additional amount over and above the per day billing to clear the outstanding at the earliest, a senior executive said on Friday.

SpiceJet is paying Rs 1.50 crore per day to Airports Authority of India towards various charges including landing and parking fee as against a daily billing of Rs 1.10 crore, SpiceJet Chief Administrative Officer and Accountable Manager G P Gupta told PTI.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma had yesterday said in Lok Sabha that, "M/s Kingfisher Airlines and SpiceJet are in default of payment and the dues are 294.57 crore and Rs 155.49 crore respectively," in response to a question on default in payments to AAI by the private airlines during the last three years.

The airline was earlier paying Rs 1.35 crore per day to the AAI, Gupta said adding, "We have increased this payment to Rs 1.50 crore per day from this month to clear our dues which are now less than Rs 100 crore."

The airline owed almost Rs 200 crore to AAI last December, under its previous ownership, when it almost survived a shut down due to the Government's intervention.

AAI levies charges for providing various facilities and services such as Route Navigation Facility, Terminal Navigation and Landing, parking, housing, counter, cargo, CUTE, space rent, licence fee, among others, from all airlines.

The Gurgaon-based low-cost carrier, under the new owner Ajay Singh has had three profitable quarters this year and has been reporting highest seat occupancy in its aircraft almost for six months now, among all domestic carriers.

Remaining profitable for the third straight quarter, SpiceJet posted a net profit of Rs 23.77 crore in the three months ending September. The carrier had a net loss of Rs 310.45 crore in 2014 September quarter.