Adani Enterprises wins bids to operate five state-run airports as conglomerate looks to expand business

New Delhi: India’s Adani Enterprises Ltd has won bids to operate five government-run airports in the country, two sources told Reuters on Monday, as the conglomerate looks to expand its business beyond mining and renewable energy. [caption id=“attachment_4378787” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Gautam Adani, chairman Adani Group. Reuters.[/caption] The Airports Authority of India (AAI), which owns and operates more than 100 airports in the country, invited bids in December to operate, manage and develop six airports under a public-private partnership. The bids closed on 14 February. Adani has won bids to operate airports in the cities of Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mangalore and Trivandrum, the sources said. The winner for the sixth airport, Guwahati, is likely to be announced on Tuesday, one of the sources said. Adani will operate the airports for 50 years and will fund any future development. The company is also expected to pay AAI a monthly fee for every domestic and international passenger handled at the airport, according to the tender document. The five airports handled nearly 30 million passengers in total last year. Adani did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. AAI, in a statement, said that Adani had quoted the highest passenger fee at the five airports. Other bidders included GMR Airports Ltd, which operates the Delhi airport, and Zurich Airport International.