Nedumbassery, Sept. 16 -- Air India will join hands with Singapore Air Terminal Services (SATS), a Singapore firm, to handle ground services of flights at the airport here.

According to Air India sources here today, the joint venture would handle the ground services with better equipments and efficient ground service, reducing the time considerably.

Air India would have 50 per cent stake while the remaining would be with SATS, they said, adding the necessary ground inspection in this regard was already over and Air India would deliver introductory letter to CIAL officials to commence the services.

The object of the move was to upgrade the services with modern equipment and efficient staff, the sources added.

Air India was expecting to handle the whole ground service alone, with the introduction of the system, the sources added.

The AI/STAS had already started functioning at Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi and partially Thiruvananthapuram, and it would begin its services both here and Karippur soon.

Kerala Excise Minister K Babu, who is also incharge of airport, said the Nedumbassery international airport would have a modern international terminal soon.

The Air India Board also approved the nomination of Rohit Nandan CMD on the various committees of the Board and the Noard of AI/SATS a joint venture of Air India. Published by HT Syndication with permission from United News of India. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at [email protected]