New Delhi, June
6:
International
air travellers transferring through Indian airports could soon be allowed to
withdraw cash which they would be able to use in the airport terminal for food
and beverages among others.
This is one of
the suggestions put forward by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in a paper on
‘Developing aviation hubs in the country'. The suggestion has been made as the
country looks to develop airports to attract more passengers thereby generating
more income and employment from the sector.
It called for a
change in the existing currency policy, which also restricts the amount of
Indian currency domestic and international passengers can carry beyond the
immigration point. The suggestions which have been sent to various stakeholders
including airlines, airports and other Government Departments will have to be
cleared by the Union Cabinet before it is implemented.
The Ministry
said that the lack of such a policy was hurting the development of Indian
airports as hubs for airlines.
The Ministry has
pointed out that the current currency policy is favourable for arriving
passengers who terminate their journey here but it is a major hindrance for
passengers transferring from hub airports and not terminating journey at any
international port of arrival in India.
The Ministry
paper states that the ratio of transferring passengers at any Indian airport
ranges between 2 per cent and 8 per cent of the total traffic and is miniscule
in comparison to other developed mature overseas international hub airports,
where it ranges between 35 per cent and 55 per cent.
“The time spent
by the transferring passenger range from more than two hours and less than 24
hours, and these passengers are required to spend substantially on food and
beverages and use other facilities in the transfer area, and spending in
foreign currency is usually not feasible,” the paper states.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-economy/article3498517.ece
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