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What is the story about?
A purported June 4 letter from Adani Airports to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), shared by TMC Member of Parliament Mahua Moitra, shows the airport operator seeking a waiver that would allow it and its affiliates to invest in, establish, acquire, own, promote or control a scheduled airline.
Moitra shared a four-page document on X, alleging a contradiction between the letter and a July 24 disclosure by Adani Enterprises denying reports that the group was planning to launch an airline.
In her post, Moitra alleged that Adani Group was “lying brazenly to Stock Exchanges”, pointing to what she described as a June 4 letter to AAI seeking a waiver from the 2006 airport privatisation agreement, followed by a July 24 communication from Adani Enterprises to the BSE and NSE denying reports of an airline plan.
What does the purported letter say?
The purported letter, addressed to the Chairman of AAI, seeks a waiver and amendment to Clause 2.5(vi) of the Operation, Management and Development Agreement (OMDA) dated April 4, 2006.
The document says:
“Against this backdrop, Adani Defence & Aerospace has been evaluating participation in the airline business as a natural extension of the Adani Group's broader commitment to the aviation ecosystem.”
The letter also says Adani Defence & Aerospace is working with Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer towards establishing capabilities for the manufacture of regional aircraft in India.
It then links those initiatives to a potential airline, stating:
“Through these initiatives, the Adani Group is uniquely positioned to support the development of a next-generation airline model focused on regional connectivity and can play a meaningful role in bridging connectivity gaps across Tier-II and Tier-III cities while contributing significantly to overall capacity creation within the aviation sector.”
The purported letter further says:
“...Adani Defence & Aerospace and other entities within the Adani Group are constrained from pursuing airline operations and obtaining an Air Operator Certificate (‘AOC’) despite possessing the capability, commitment and long-term strategic intent to contribute to the growth of India's aviation sector.”
What permission was Adani seeking?
The purported letter asks AAI to allow:
“Adani Defence & Aerospace and/or its affiliates to directly or indirectly invest in, establish, acquire, own, promote and/or control a Scheduled Airline in India”
It also seeks permission for:
“Any airport operator within the Adani Group and/or its affiliates to hold equity, directly or indirectly, in a Scheduled Airline”
The letter further seeks permission for such an airline to obtain and maintain an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and related approvals from the DGCA, Ministry of Civil Aviation and other competent authorities.
Adani's case for allowing airport operators to own airlines
The letter argues that allowing airport operators to participate in the airline business would help increase competition and reduce concentration in India's aviation sector.
“Grant of the requested waiver would facilitate the emergence of an additional large-scale airline operator, thereby enhancing competition, reducing concentration risk and strengthening overall resilience within the aviation sector.”
The group also argues that the proposal is aligned with the Ministry of Civil Aviation's policy objective of encouraging new airline entrants and expanding aviation capacity.
On regional connectivity, the letter says the proposed airline platform could contribute to connectivity in underserved Tier-II and Tier-III cities and complement the objectives of the UDAN programme.
Addressing conflict-of-interest concerns
The document also specifically addresses concerns over airport neutrality if an airport operator is allowed to own an airline.
Under a section titled “No Adverse Impact on Airport Neutrality”, the letter says airport neutrality can be preserved through existing and enhanced safeguards, including:
• IATA-compliant slot allocation processes
• DGCA, MoCA and AERA oversight
• Transparent and non-discriminatory airport operating procedures
• Information barriers and ring-fencing arrangements
• Independent governance structures
• Regulatory monitoring and compliance mechanisms
The group says it is prepared to implement structural safeguards, governance standards, information barriers and ring-fencing mechanisms that may be considered necessary by AAI and other regulatory authorities.
The July 24 denial
Adani Enterprises had stated on July 24, denying reports that it was planning to launch an airline.
The company said:
"We would like to categorically deny the recent media reports and market speculation suggesting that Adani Enterprises is planning to launch an airline. These reports are entirely baseless and factually incorrect."
It added: “Adani Enterprises is not evaluating any proposal to enter the airline business.”
The purported June letter appears to be at odds with Adani Enterprises' subsequent denial. The letter was sent by Adani Airports Holdings, an Adani Enterprises subsidiary, and specifically refers to Adani Defence & Aerospace and its affiliates.
On July 24, however, Adani Enterprises said it was “not evaluating any proposal to enter the airline business.” The company has not publicly clarified whether the July statement also covers the airline-related evaluation referenced in the June letter.
The two documents therefore raise a key question: how should the June letter's request for permission to “invest in, establish, acquire, own, promote and/or control” a scheduled airline be reconciled with Adani Enterprises' July 24 statement that it was “not evaluating any proposal to enter the airline business”?
The June document has been shared publicly by Mahua Moitra; its authenticity has not been independently established by CNBC-TV18 based on the copy circulating on social media.
CNBC-TV18 has reached out to Adani Group for clarification on the June 4 letter and the July 24 statement.
Also Read: 'We felt we were gone': Passenger recounts 30 seconds of terror on Air India Phuket-Delhi flight
Moitra shared a four-page document on X, alleging a contradiction between the letter and a July 24 disclosure by Adani Enterprises denying reports that the group was planning to launch an airline.
In her post, Moitra alleged that Adani Group was “lying brazenly to Stock Exchanges”, pointing to what she described as a June 4 letter to AAI seeking a waiver from the 2006 airport privatisation agreement, followed by a July 24 communication from Adani Enterprises to the BSE and NSE denying reports of an airline plan.
Lying
brazenly to Stock Exchanges @AdaniOnline - on 4/6 Adani writes to Chairman @AAI_Official wants to own & invest in airlines as airport operator. Then same Company Secretary cc’d on June 4 letter writes to BSE /NSE on 24/7 denying news! (1/4)
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) August 9, 2026
What does the purported letter say?
The purported letter, addressed to the Chairman of AAI, seeks a waiver and amendment to Clause 2.5(vi) of the Operation, Management and Development Agreement (OMDA) dated April 4, 2006.
The document says:
“Against this backdrop, Adani Defence & Aerospace has been evaluating participation in the airline business as a natural extension of the Adani Group's broader commitment to the aviation ecosystem.”
The letter also says Adani Defence & Aerospace is working with Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer towards establishing capabilities for the manufacture of regional aircraft in India.
It then links those initiatives to a potential airline, stating:
“Through these initiatives, the Adani Group is uniquely positioned to support the development of a next-generation airline model focused on regional connectivity and can play a meaningful role in bridging connectivity gaps across Tier-II and Tier-III cities while contributing significantly to overall capacity creation within the aviation sector.”
The purported letter further says:
“...Adani Defence & Aerospace and other entities within the Adani Group are constrained from pursuing airline operations and obtaining an Air Operator Certificate (‘AOC’) despite possessing the capability, commitment and long-term strategic intent to contribute to the growth of India's aviation sector.”
What permission was Adani seeking?
The purported letter asks AAI to allow:
“Adani Defence & Aerospace and/or its affiliates to directly or indirectly invest in, establish, acquire, own, promote and/or control a Scheduled Airline in India”
It also seeks permission for:
“Any airport operator within the Adani Group and/or its affiliates to hold equity, directly or indirectly, in a Scheduled Airline”
The letter further seeks permission for such an airline to obtain and maintain an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and related approvals from the DGCA, Ministry of Civil Aviation and other competent authorities.
Adani's case for allowing airport operators to own airlines
The letter argues that allowing airport operators to participate in the airline business would help increase competition and reduce concentration in India's aviation sector.
“Grant of the requested waiver would facilitate the emergence of an additional large-scale airline operator, thereby enhancing competition, reducing concentration risk and strengthening overall resilience within the aviation sector.”
The group also argues that the proposal is aligned with the Ministry of Civil Aviation's policy objective of encouraging new airline entrants and expanding aviation capacity.
On regional connectivity, the letter says the proposed airline platform could contribute to connectivity in underserved Tier-II and Tier-III cities and complement the objectives of the UDAN programme.
Addressing conflict-of-interest concerns
The document also specifically addresses concerns over airport neutrality if an airport operator is allowed to own an airline.
Under a section titled “No Adverse Impact on Airport Neutrality”, the letter says airport neutrality can be preserved through existing and enhanced safeguards, including:
• IATA-compliant slot allocation processes
• DGCA, MoCA and AERA oversight
• Transparent and non-discriminatory airport operating procedures
• Information barriers and ring-fencing arrangements
• Independent governance structures
• Regulatory monitoring and compliance mechanisms
The group says it is prepared to implement structural safeguards, governance standards, information barriers and ring-fencing mechanisms that may be considered necessary by AAI and other regulatory authorities.
The July 24 denial
Adani Enterprises had stated on July 24, denying reports that it was planning to launch an airline.
The company said:
"We would like to categorically deny the recent media reports and market speculation suggesting that Adani Enterprises is planning to launch an airline. These reports are entirely baseless and factually incorrect."
It added: “Adani Enterprises is not evaluating any proposal to enter the airline business.”
The purported June letter appears to be at odds with Adani Enterprises' subsequent denial. The letter was sent by Adani Airports Holdings, an Adani Enterprises subsidiary, and specifically refers to Adani Defence & Aerospace and its affiliates.
On July 24, however, Adani Enterprises said it was “not evaluating any proposal to enter the airline business.” The company has not publicly clarified whether the July statement also covers the airline-related evaluation referenced in the June letter.
The two documents therefore raise a key question: how should the June letter's request for permission to “invest in, establish, acquire, own, promote and/or control” a scheduled airline be reconciled with Adani Enterprises' July 24 statement that it was “not evaluating any proposal to enter the airline business”?
The June document has been shared publicly by Mahua Moitra; its authenticity has not been independently established by CNBC-TV18 based on the copy circulating on social media.
CNBC-TV18 has reached out to Adani Group for clarification on the June 4 letter and the July 24 statement.
Also Read: 'We felt we were gone': Passenger recounts 30 seconds of terror on Air India Phuket-Delhi flight
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