Mumbai Int Airport slaps fine on ground handling services provider AIASL for aircraft damage

Mumbai International Airport Limited fined AI Airport Services Limited ₹10 lakh after a detached dolly damaged a Gulf Air aircraft, causing operational disruption, financial losses, and reputational damage at the busy Mumbai airport

New Delhi: Mumbai airport operator MIAL has penalised state-owned AIASL after a dolly that got detached during ground handling operations struck and damaged a parked Gulf Air aircraft at the airport earlier this month.

Terming it a major incident that has caused serious reputational loss to the airport, Adani Group-owned MIAL has imposed a Rs 10 lakh fine on AI Airport Services Ltd (AIASL), according to a communication accessed by PTI.

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The incident that resulted in the damage of the Gulf Air aircraft happened on April 10 when AIASL personnel were engaged in towing loaded containers mounted on dollies along the head-of-stand road in the vicinity of aircraft stands.

“… while the towing operation was in progress, one of the rear dollies became detached from the preceding dolly, moved in uncontrolled manner and struck a parked aircraft belonging to Gulf Air at the airport.

The impact resulted in damage to the said aircraft’s airframe, including damage in the forward area of the aircraft,” MIAL said in a letter to AIASL on April 15.

With the plane suffering damages, it was declared as Aircraft on Ground (AOG). Gulf Air is Bahrain-headquartered airline.

Details about the aircraft could not be ascertained.

According to the letter, the incident has caused serious reputational loss to the airport.

“In addition to reputational harm, MIAL is also facing loss of revenue and commercial impact arising from the AOG condition of the Gulf Air aircraft. This includes disruption and deferment of aeronautical and allied airport revenues directly linked to aircraft operations.

“The grounding of the aircraft has also resulted in operational inefficiencies and constraints on airport infrastructure and capacity,” MIAL said.

While imposing the fine of Rs 10 lakh, the airport operator also said that it reserves the rights to recover from AIASL such amounts as it may reasonably determine, in due course, towards compensation for losses and damages suffered or incurred by it.

There were no comments from Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) and AIASL on the issue.

Mumbai airport is one of the country’s busiest airports.