The Union Home Ministry has rejected a request to amend rules to allow a foreign national to take over as CEO of a new airport, several officials familiar with the matter told HT – a decision that affects the upcoming Noida airport.
The airport, developed and operated by Yamuna International Airport Pvt Limited, is a subsidiary of Swiss Zurich Airport International AG with Christoph Schellmann as its CEO.
“The Ministry of Civil Aviation does not support allowing expatriates to be the CEO of a new airport,” said one official, who requested to remain anonymous.
A letter seeking to amend the rules – which stipulate that the CEO of the new airport must be an Indian citizen, on grounds of security of air operations – has been sent to the MHA by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the aviation security regulator under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
A second official confirmed that “the request was rejected.”
The decision leaves Noida airport with few options, a third official told HT.
“The rejection of the rule amendments implies that the already delayed Noida Airport, whose CEO is a Swiss national, may have to replace the CEO in a worst-case scenario,” a third official said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Noida International Airport, located at Jewar in Greater Noida, about 60 km from Noida, on March 28. The airport said on March 6 that it had obtained its airport license, and noted that its regulatory approval process had one pending matter: its airport security program.
The airport said Tuesday it was working with authorities but did not address the status of the CEO’s clearance.
“We are working closely with the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to ensure approval of the Airport Security Program (ASP). Following this, we will coordinate with all stakeholders to finalize timelines for the commencement of commercial operations. Our efforts are focused on ensuring that all systems, processes and personnel are fully aligned to deliver a safe, efficient and smooth start of operations,” a Noida Airport spokesperson said.
MHA did not respond to queries sent by HT.
The third official mentioned above added that the CEO has not yet conducted the mandatory security checks. “The CEO is yet to obtain his security clearance from the Ministry of Interior and has not been vetted by BCAS, the security arm of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Both steps are mandatory for airport executives and this issue is now the only factor delaying the start of flight operations,” the official added.
The legal basis for this requirement is BCAS AVSEC Order dated January 17, 2011: “The Chief Executive Officer of Indian nationality at each new Indian airport and the Airport Director or the responsible airport management at AAI airports served by civil flights shall be the Security Coordinator at the airports concerned and shall be responsible for coordinating the implementation of security measures in accordance with the statutory provisions and instructions issued by the Civil Aviation Security Bureau from time to time.”
Officials confirmed that efforts to amend this rule date back to 2022, when the issue first appeared. “In 2022, a show-cause notice was issued to the airport management for non-compliance with the AVSEC order; however, no action was taken. A proposal to amend the rules was also sent; however, no conclusion was reached,” the official said.
