Aviation: Get water at MRP, tea for Rs 10 at these airports

Following the orders of Airports Authority of India, more than 90 government-run airports across the country will soon sell packaged drinking water at the maximum retail price (MRP) along with snacks and tea at the lowest rate possible. This move came after a complaint lodged by a passenger, according to officials familiar with the development, reports Hindustan Times.

The report said that AAI has asked airports to sell packaged water and snacks at MRP at a separate counter. However, these rules are not applicable to some of India’s biggest airports — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Kochi, as these airports are run by private companies.

“We have asked airport directors to ask the company that is managing food courts at airports to have a counter where water bottles and sandwiches are sold at MRP. We have also told them to sell tea and coffee at Rs 10. They will also ensure that some cheap snacks, such as samosa, are sold at lesser rates,” said a senior AAI official who asked not to be named, HT cited.

Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Patna, and Guwahati are some of the busy airports operated by AAI in terms of air traffic. Passengers have raised the issue of lack of options of restaurants in the airports like Kolkata and Lucknow and complaints of expensive food times like Rs 50 for a cup of tea are lodged at Imphal airport, wherein Guwahati there's only one restaurant. 

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On the other hand, Pune, Shimla, and Chennai have already set up cheap food counters in their airports on their own, which will be made mandatory at all the airports by AAI.