By: Shilpa Sharma
THREE committees under the Centre-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) in January found the Adani group guilty of violating the branding norms at the airports in Ahmedabad, Mangaluru and Lucknow.
The branding norms were prescribed in the concession agreements after the conglomerate took charge of these airports last year.
Subsequently, the group companies started making changes in branding and displays to align them with the concession agreements that they had signed with the AAI.
In June-end, the changes were completed at the Ahmedabad airport, and were in process at Lucknow and Manglauru airports.
The Adani group won the bids to run the aforementioned three airports in February 2019. Its companies — Adani Lucknow International Airport Limited (ALIAL), Adani Mangaluru International Airport Limited (AMIAL) and Adani Ahmedabad International Airport Limited (AAIAL) — signed the concession agreements with the AAI in February 2020. Thereafter, these companies took charge of airports in October and November 2020.
After discovering the errors in branding and displays at these airports in December last year, AAI had asked the Adani group to take “corrective measures”, and a month later the authority formed three committees to carry out a joint assessment.
“The joint inspection committee found that airport name hoardings displayed by concessionaire (ALIAL) at the airport entrance and exit roads has also got Adani Airports written on both sides of Lucknow International Airport hoardings, which is in violation of concession agreement no. 5.15.2,” the joint assessment report said.
The committee also found that the name and logo of the AAI was not equally and prominently displayed in other displays, violating the agreement.
An Adani group spokesperson told PTI, “We are proud to partner with the AAI and continue to work together to offer best-in-class airport infrastructure to the passengers, ensuring the most seamless and secure airport experience. The AAI and Adani Airports have mutually agreed for the co-branding at the airports and other related avenues.”
“As per the agreement, logos of both – the authority and the operator – are displayed together in the same size on all the agreed signages and hoardings,” the spokesperson said.
