Users Need To Pay 50% More Now At 'This' Adani-Controlled Airport The Airport Economic Regulatory Authority has revealed that fee hikes on passengers and airlines will now be levied at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. Read before to know the exact increases and how it will affect the industry. By Mrinal Verma 27 Jun 2024 in Aviation Airline New Update User Development Fee will now be 50% higher at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Listen to this article 0.75x 1x 1.5x 00:00 / 00:00 Follow Us Share The Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has revealed that the User Development Fee (UDF), levied on passengers as part of their air tickets, will be increased by 50% at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. The rules will come into effect on July 1, 2024, at the Adani-run airport. The hike will be put into effect from July 1, 2024 50% Hike for Passengers The UDF will now be ₹770 for embarking domestic travellers and ₹330 for disembarking passengers until March 2025. These fees are also scheduled to be raised further every subsequent year—the fee will be ₹840 and ₹360, respectively, from March 2025 to March 2026 and will be increased to ₹910 and ₹390 in the next year. International travellers, too, will have to pay double the tariff levied on domestic travellers every year. The UDF will now be ₹770 for embarking domestic travellers Increased Fee for Aircrafts Airlines, too, are victims of the new change, as the landing charges for planes have been increased threefold—₹890 now from ₹360 earlier, with departing flights having to pay ₹840. The fee will increase 4.6 times and 5.5 times in the coming years. Departing flights will have to pay ₹840 as per the new rule The Pricey Airport AERA has also raised the airport’s projection for non-aeronautical revenue (used to cross-subsidise passenger cost) to ₹392 crore in comparison to the ₹102 crore proposed by the airport. These increases are part of a tariff order by AERA that will be implemented from July 1, 2024, to March 31, 2027. The airport, owned by Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL), witnessed this as the first-ever revision of its fees since its privatization in 2019. The airport was privatised in 2019 Opposition Opposing this new hike at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport, CPI(M) leader John Brittas and CPI’s Binoy Wiswam have penned letters to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, asking them to review the “astronomical” tariff hike as “these could hamper the promise of affordable air travel for the citizens of Kerala and impact the economic growth of the state,” revealed The Hindu. The hike has been met with criticism by political leaders and general public The general public, too, has taken to the internet to speak out against the new rule with many claiming it as a result of “privatisation’s and capitalism’s greed”. Subscribe to our Newsletter! Be the first to get exclusive offers and the latest news Subscribe Now Related Articles Latest Stories Read the Next Article