Andhra Pradesh govt approves 24-hour bar & shop licence for airports in state

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh govt on Saturday issued orders to grant licences for liquor shops and bars in airports, introducing a separate licensing framework with 24-hour operations and defined tax structures.Under the policy, shops and bars will be allowed in airports across the state, except in Tirupati airport. The orders were issued following the approval given by the state cabinet in its recent meeting. The licences will be issued only based on the recommendations of airport operators, which means applicants must be recommended by the airport operator and have to apply through the excise department.For airport bars, the annual retail excise tax has been fixed at ₹25 lakh for airports with passenger traffic of 20 lakh and above, and ₹15 lakh for those with lesser traffic.

Shops in airports will attract an annual excise tax of ₹1 crore.The govt has allowed round-the-clock operations for both bars and shops in airports, subject to security and operational protocols. Up to three serving points for bars and three counters for shops will be permitted under a single licence.The licence period will be linked to the agreement between the airport operator and the licensee or the standard licence period, whichever is shorter.

The tax liability will be adjusted proportionately if the licence is issued for a partial period.Separately, the govt has amended rules governing shops and bars to incorporate provisions for airport licences. For airport shops, an application fee of ₹2 lakh has been prescribed, and licences will be issued by district excise authorities after due verification. The annual excise tax for such shops will be ₹1 crore, with provision to pay in lump sum or in instalments.For bars, the application fee has been fixed at ₹5 lakh, and licences will be granted following scrutiny by excise authorities. The licence conditions include adherence to existing regulatory norms governing liquor trade.Airport shop licence holders will not be eligible for permit rooms, while general rules applicable to shops and bars will continue to apply to airport establishments. The policy framework will be reviewed after three years based on passenger footfall and operational assessment.