Airport charges at MIA to be hiked from Feb 1

Team Udayavani, Jan 15, 2023, 8:34 AM IST

Mangaluru: From February 1, passengers at Mangaluru International Airport will have to pay higher airport charges including user development fee (UDF).  Passengers flying in and out of the airport will be charged enhanced fees.

Mangaluru International Airport Limited (MIAL) had moved The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) seeking revision in aeronautical tariff for a control period of 5 years from April 1, 2021, up to March 31, 2026.

“MIAL had pitched for revision of airport charges including user development fee (UDF) from passengers flying in and out of this coastal city to give them the best-in-class experience,” a press release from MIAL said.

Accordingly, AERA in its order has also specified February 1, 2023 as the effective date for the new charges. In the order, AERA has also mentioned charges for each of the subsequent financial years, that is, FY 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26.

The tariff fixing body had sought remarks from airlines, passenger associations and enterprise jet operators to make the right decision in the larger interest of passenger safety and experience.

“This move will not only aid the on-going expansion, but also help with identified new investments, which are necessary for safety, security, passenger convenience and optimal utilization of the airport,” the release added.

“The airport has seen no major capital improvement and expansion since 2009. Also, it has been over 12 years since the last tariff revision for the airport, which happened in September 2010. The revision of the charges would be compensated by user experience of a world-class airport,” it added.

UDF at Indian airports has traditionally been levied on departing passengers, barring for a brief period at Delhi’s IGIA over a decade back when arriving flyers also had to pay this charge.