'Massive conflict of interest' if airport operators allowed to own airlines: IndiGo MD Rahul Bhatia

New Delhi: IndiGo co-founder and Managing Director Rahul Bhatia on Thursday said there will be a "massive conflict of interest" if airport operators are allowed to own airlines.

His comments come against the backdrop of Adani Group, which owns eight airports, proposing to get into the airline business and that the government is reportedly looking at relaxing norms to allow airport operators to have ownership of airlines.

"We are reading news as you are. All I can say is that if the news has any merit, one, it has no global precedent... and typically (there will be) a massive conflict of interest...," Bhatia said during the analysts' call to discuss the airline's first quarter financial results.


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He was responding to a query seeking his views on reports about allowing cross holdings by airport operators in airlines.

Meanwhile, sources said that Adani Group made a proposal in June to the authorities seeking relaxation in the norms pertaining to airport operators owning a stake in airlines.

Currently, there are restrictions on airport operators owning a stake in airlines.

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There have been no official comments from the Civil Aviation Ministry or the Adani Group on the proposal.