Thiruvananthapuram, July 11 (IANS) Air India director E.K. Bharath Bhushan said Monday that the new joint venture AI-SATS - Air India and Singapore Airport Terminal Services Ltd - formed for ground handling at the airport here had not been clered by the airline's board.


"Yes, this was not approved by the Air India board but don't ask me how it has already started functioning at the international airport here," Bhushan, who is also the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), told reporters.

AI-SATS had July 1 begun ground handling of foreign carriers.

Bhushan was here to meet Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and discuss with him the issue of transfer of land at Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode for the urgent expansion of airports at the two cities.

"Currently, the Airports Authority of India has 97 airports in the country. In the next 10 years, a record 500 airports will come up in the country," said Bhushan.