Flying from Chennai to get costlier

V Ayyappan | TNN
July 16, 2009

Chennai: Flying out of Chennai might just end up causing a bigger dent in your pocket very soon with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) planning to levy a user development fee (UDF) on international and domestic passengers at Anna International airport. Private airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad already collect UDF.
“We are yet to receive intimation from the union civil aviation ministry but it is expected any time,” said a senior AAI official. Although details are not yet known, airport officials feel that the charges may range from Rs 100 to Rs 200 for domestic passengers and not higher than Rs 500 for international passengers.
The AAI wants to introduce UDF at Chennai and Kolkata airports and also at some of the smaller airports as the government-run airport operator is short of funds for carrying out expansion works. The recently constituted Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) is expected to spell out details to regulate UDF, including rates, procedures and legality. Currently, private airports charge different rates from passengers.
Union civil aviation minister Praful Patel has asserted yet again that the AAI would also collect UDF from Chennai and Kolkata airports where expansion works are going on. Industry experts say that passenger service fee (PSF) levied by airlines on the ticket already goes to the airport and that UDF would be an additional burden on passengers.
Air Passenger Association of India (APAI) founder president D Sudhakara Reddy said, “UDF will make flying more expensive. It is also unjustified because airports built by AAI are infrastructure projects funded by tax payers’ money. So why should they levy more money on passengers who are already burdened by high airfare and taxes.” He added that airports should make money from passengers through sales from duty-free shops and commercial establishments inside terminals. “They should take a leaf from Cochin airport, which is making a profit.”
An Air India official said that UDF would affect the fare structure of the airlines.