BREAKING: Flying to Delhi? Get Ready for a 400% Surge in Costs from April 16 | Read Details

New Delhi: Delhi International Airport has announced a sharp increase in the User Development Fee (UDF) for international passengers. Effective April 16, the UDF for departing economy class international passengers will rise by a staggering 400%, from ₹130 to ₹650. This hike is expected to impact travelers flying to destinations abroad from India's busiest airport.

However, domestic passengers flying out of Delhi will not face any fee increase. The UDF for domestic travelers will remain unchanged at ₹129, sparing them from the hike.

Under the revised tariff regime, international passengers flying economy class from the airport will have to pay a UDF of Rs 650 and for those landing here, the rate will be Rs 275 and in case of international business class passengers, the UDF will be Rs 810 for embarking and Rs 345 for disembarking passengers, respectively, 

The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) said in a release on Friday that airport operator DIAL had proposed a 730 per cent increase in prevailing airport charges. "However, after conducting a thorough analysis and applying prudence checks to each regulatory building block, AERA has determined a significantly lower increase of 140 per cent over the existing airport charges.

"This adjustment will enable the airport operator to meet essential capital expenditure requirements, maintain operational efficiency and ensure service quality in line with the standards outlined in the State Support Agreement (SSA) and the Operation, Management and Development Agreement (OMDA)," it said.

On the rationale behind having a differential rate of UDF for the international economy and business class passengers, AERA said it aligns with the 'user pays' principle and reflects the enhanced passenger experience and expanded facilities available and used by international travellers.

"The landing and parking charges for the airlines have also been rationalised and kept at reasonable levels, considering competitive airport charges at similar airports.

"This ensures that airline operations are not unduly burdened and that operational efficiency is maintained," it said. PTI RAM IAS MR MR