Get ready to pay more at BIA

Get ready to pay more at BIA


ENS
02 Oct 2008 10:35:00 AM IST

BANGALORE: Domestic passengers using the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) can get ready to shell out extra bucks from November, as a ‘User Development Fee’ (UDF) is likely to be collected from the departing passengers.

The controversial UDF, which the domestic passengers are yet to be charged, will come into effect by the end of this month or from November, as the Civil Aviation Ministry is currently evaluating an audited project report submitted by Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), the promoters of the four-month-old airport. “The audited project report is being evaluated by the Ministry and would be ready by this month. A final decision would be taken on the fee to be charged so that the UDF is implemented on domestic passengers at the BIA,” K N Srivatsava, joint secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, told The Express.

The UDF of Rs 675, was to be implemented from August 24. The proposal was put on hold as the BIAL submitted the report only a few days before the UDF was to be implemented.

Though the Ministry has three months to evaluate the report , it is confident that the report will be evaluated this month itself. The fee amount is yet to be fixed, he said. The Hyderabad International Airport has been charging Rs 375 as UDF on domestic passengers.

The Ministry had recently issued guidelines for a uniform UDF to be charged by the airports. As per the draft guidelines, the UDF levied on the project cost must consider only aviation-related expenses and the cost of capital employed, depreciation, operational and maintenance expenses and taxes would be admissible as a part of the tariff. It was also suggested that the UDF be reviewed within two years.