Bengaluru Airport to Hike User Development Fee From April 2022 - Here's What it Means

From April, next year passengers flying out of Bengaluru airport will have to pay more for flight tickets as Airport Economic Regulatory Authority has allowed BIAL to increase their user development fee for four years till March 2026. The authority, has, however, refused to give permission for an immediate hike in the UDF as sought by the airport.

In an order passed last week, AERA had stated that a fee of Rs 350 for departing domestic passengers and Rs 1,200 for international departing passengers will be in effect till March 2023. Subsequently, an increase in a graded manner through the third control period. The present fee for departing domestic and international passengers is Rs 184 and Rs 839 respectively.

BIAL had sought the rise citing the expansion of projects amounting to Rs 13,000 crore and also significant fall in air travel demand and the economic slowdown due to Covid-19 induced lockdowns.

The airport handled 37,319 tonnes of cargo in August, which is the highest since the facility started operations in 2008, mainly driven by international consignments. International cargo (both imports and exports) continued to be growth drivers and stood at 24,304 tonnes during the previous month, also the highest ever, with exports cargo accounting for more than half at 15,224 tonnes, Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), said in a statement.

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The Bengaluru international airport is the third busiest airport in the country and a preferred gateway for air cargo from the southern states. It claims to have the highest cargo processing capacity. Currently, the airport offers a cargo capacity of around 7,15,000 tonnes annually, which is expandable up to around 8,50,000 tonnes.

“Our aim is to expand the cargo infrastructure to provide a capacity of one million tonnes in the next few years," BIAL said in the statement. There are currently 14 dedicated freighters operating to and from Bengaluru international airport, with around 30-33 daily freighter movements, BIAL said adding that there is also an additional belly capacity in passenger aircraft.

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