Relief for domestic air passengers as airport charges slashed

Mumbai: Domestic air passengers will have to pay less at the airports, particularly the non-major ones, from the next month as the aviation regulator has brought down certain charges to the level of last December.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had hiked the air navigational charges at all domestic airports besides increasing passenger service fee, user development fee as well as landing, parking and housing fee at all non-major airports from December 16, 2016.

"The tariff pertaining to air navigational charges at all airports and airport charges at non-major airports of AAI for all domestic flights are restored hereby to the rates... prior to 16.12.2016," DGCA said in a notification last Friday.

The restored tariff will be applicable for the period from July 1 to March 31 next year.

Generally, airports serving less than 12 lakh passengers annually are considered as non-major.

The charges for these aerodromes are fixed by DGCA whereas for major airports the rates are determined by Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA).