International passengers to shell out more at Delhi airport from April 16
New Delhi, March 30 : International passengers will have to shell out more for flying out of Delhi airport starting April 16, as the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has approved higher and variable user development fees (UDF) for economy and business class passengers.
Recognising that domestic travelers make up 80 per cent of the total traffic at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), AERA has decided to keep the UDF for domestic passengers unchanged at Rs 129 for the fourth control period.
“Against the existing yield per passenger of Rs 145 valid under the 3rd control period, the nominal yield per passenger has been increased to Rs 360 throughout the balance four years of control period valid till March 31, 2029,” GMR Airports has said in a regulatory filing.
Currently, UDF charges are uniform for both domestic and international travellers. However, with the revised tariff structure, international passengers will now pay significantly higher fees depending on their class of travel.
GMR Airports has informed the stock exchanges that the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority has accepted various principles of variable tariff plan for the Delhi airport and that the existing aeronautical tariff has been increased around 148 per cent for the fourth control period ending March 31, 2029.
AERA has approved higher and variable user development fees for economy and business class travellers while the User Development Fee has been left unchanged for domestic passengers. The UDF for international passengers has been hiked. The revised tariffs for the fourth control period — April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2029 — will be applicable from April 16.
GMR Airports has said AERA has accepted various principles of variable tariff plan as proposed by the Delhi airport and accordingly, UDF has been split across both embarking and disembarking passengers.
GMR Airports’ subsidiary Delhi International Airport Ltd. operates the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital. In line with the public consultation Paper issued on January 31, AERA has increased the existing aeronautical tariff by 148 per cent.
DIAL had proposed a 730 per cent hike in prevailing charges. However, after thorough analysis and regulatory scrutiny, AERA settled on a significantly lower increase of 148 per cent.
The filing also said the landing charges for wide-body aircraft for scheduled airline operators who will operate direct flight to new international destinations have been waived off.
This will help encourage more international long-haul flights and help in making the airport a hub. Among other aspects, GMR Airports said AERA has taken cognisance of the TDSA judgement, dated July 21, 2023, wherein certain significant issues have been decided in favour of DIAL.
However, since the said TDSAT order has been challenged by AERA in Supreme Court, AERA has decided to defer the implementation of the said TDSAT order till the matter attains finality in the proceedings before the Supreme Court, the filing noted.
The company also said that as per Supreme Court judgement, dated July 11, 2022, in the matter of tariff order for the first control period, AERA has given effect in the order towards computation of corporate tax on aeronautical earnings in the present fourth control period of the tariff order.
