Changi Airports International, India’s Airports Authority call off collaboration

SINGAPORE — A proposed plan to broaden Singapore and India's collaboration in civil aviation has been called off, after parties involved in the negotiations failed to agree on commercial terms of the project, Channel NewsAsia reported.

Changi Airports International (CAI) had been in talks with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on plans to maintain some Indian airports, and explore mutual areas of commercial interest. A CAI spokesman confirmed to the broadcaster on Friday (April 15) that talks had been called off.

Channel NewsAsia quoted CAI spokesman Ms See Ngee Muoy saying: "“As an airport investor, manager and consultant, CAI will continue to explore opportunities in airport projects in India where we can add value and where there is a strong fit with our global strategy.”

CAI was nominated by the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) in January this year as an expert party to cooperate with AAI on the maintenance of the Ahmedabad and Jaipur airports.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between SCE and AAI in November last year when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Singapore.

Some of the areas of joint interest as outlined in the MoU included master-planning and design, traffic and commercial developments, service quality improvement and cargo handling and management.