Abstract:
Cochin International Airport opened in 1999 to widespread acclaim as the first and only airport to be constructed and operated by a private company in India. By 2001 the airport was generating enough revenue to cover its operating costs, but not enough to service its debt or to pay dividends to its shareholders. The airport company was already in technical default to its lenders, and its Managing Director had to figure out quickly how to improve profits or to convince shareholders to make further large infusions of equity.
Learning Objective:
This case is intended to support a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of having private companies build and operate major infrastructure facilities, such as airports. It was developed for use in an executive program on the privatization and regulation of infrastructure and utilities, but it could also be used in Master's level courses on privatization, infrastructure, and industrial policy.
