AP Clears Liquor Sales at Airports: Andhra Pradesh Allows Liquor Sales at Airports Except Tirupati
Andhra Pradesh has approved liquor sales at airports with round the clock operations while keeping Tirupati Airport exempt and introducing new licensing fees excise charges and a policy review after three years.
AP Clears Liquor Sales at Airports: The Andhra Pradesh government has cleared the way for liquor sales at airports across the state by allowing the establishment of bars and wine shops within airport premises. The decision was announced through official orders issued on Saturday as part of a new excise policy aimed at regulating alcohol sales at airports.
The government, however, has kept Tirupati Airport outside the scope of the new policy. Considering the religious importance of Tirupati, authorities decided that liquor outlets and bars will not be permitted at the airport serving the temple town.
Under the revised guidelines, airport bars and wine shops will be allowed to operate throughout the day without time restrictions. The government has also introduced a structured licensing system with separate application fees for bars and retail wine outlets.
Applicants seeking a bar licence at an airport must pay an application fee of Rs 5 lakh, while those applying for a wine shop licence will have to pay Rs 2 lakh. In addition to the application charges, the government has fixed annual excise fees for airport liquor outlets.
Wine shops operating inside airports will pay an annual excise fee of Rs 2 crore. Bar licence fees will depend on passenger traffic. Airports handling more than 20 lakh passengers every year will attract an annual excise fee of Rs 25 lakh, while airports with passenger traffic below 20 lakh will pay Rs 15 lakh.
The state government also stated that the new airport liquor policy will be reviewed after three years to assess its implementation and effectiveness.
