Lok Sabha Question No. 2317 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-13
Subject: User Development Fee
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Prof. Sougata Ray

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## Lok Sabha

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 2317

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  13th March 2025 )

## USER DEVELOPMENT FEE

## 2317.    PROF SOUGATA RAY Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

## be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the fact that the passengers are  charged  huge  amount  as  User  Development  Fee  by  airport operators across the country;
- (b) if so, the details of the fee charged, airport and operator-wise;
- (c) the details of the criteria to fix User Development Fee;
- (d) whether it is true that the Operators obtained the prior necessary approval  from  Airport  Economic  Regulatory  Authority  (AERA)  in  this
- regard and if so, the details thereof;
- (e)  whether  the  AERA/Government  has  permitted  to  charge  extra charges for selection of seats in the flights other than ticket charges and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f)  if  not,  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  stop  such  illegal charges?

## ANSWER

Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION      (Shri Murlidhar Mohol)

- (a)  to  (c):  Government of India has set up an Independent Economic Regulator  namely,  Airports  Economic  Regulatory  Authority  of  India (AERA)  under  the  AERA  Act,  2008.  AERA  determines  aeronautical charges  of  all  the  major  airports  such  as  landing,  parking  and  User Development  Fee  (UDF)  inter-alia  considering  the  factors  such  as Return on Investment for aeronautical assets, Operating expenditure, Depreciation,Tax, etc. AERA aims to optimally balance the interest of service  provider  and  the  end  user  and  ensures  that  the  airport operator maintains and operates the airport with reasonable return on

investment  consisting  with  risk profile by following the statute provisions and tariff guidelines which protects the interests of Airport Operator, Airlines and passengers, at large.;

;

The UDF as approved by AERA for Major Airports in FY 2024-25 is at Annexure.;

;

For non major airports, UDF is approved by Ministry of Civil Aviation. These are categorised into three categories, namely Cluster-1 (passenger  throughput  of  more  than  1  million  passenger  per  annum (mppa)), Cluster-2 (passenger throughput of 0.1  mppa to 1 mppa) and Cluster-3 (passenger throughput of less than 0.1 mppa). Details of UDF at non-major airports during FY 2024-25 is as under:;

;

```
(In Rs. Per Pax); Category    Type of Pax         Domestic/International; Cluster-1     Embarking                     709 Cluster-2     Embarking                     625 Cluster-3     Embarking                     184; ;
```

(d):  Tariff  for  Aeronautical services is determined by AERA based on Multi Year Tariff Proposal submitted by the Airport Operators, which comes into effect after getting notified through Aeronautical Information  Circular  issued  by  Directorate  General  of  Civil  Aviation (DGCA).

;

(e)  &  (f):      DGCA  has  issued  Air  Transport  Circular  (ATC)  01  of  2024 titled,  "Unbundle  of  Services  and  fees  by  scheduled  airlines"  as  per which, some services like preferential seating have been allowed to be  unbundled  and  charged  separately  from  the  travellers.  Such unbundled services are provided on "opt-in" basis by Airlines and are not  mandatory  in  nature.  Further,  there  is  also  a  provision  for  auto seat assignment to the passengers who have not selected any seat for web check-in before scheduled departure. Scheduled domestic airlines are not charging any fee for  completing  web  check-in formalities.

******

ANNEXURE

Statement  referred  in  reply  of  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No.  2317  for  answer  on 13.03.2025

## UDF LEVIED AT MAJOR AIRPORTS (FY 2024-25)

(In Rs. Per Pax)

|         |                  |                        | FY 2024-25   | FY 2024-25    |
|---------|------------------|------------------------|--------------|---------------|
| Sr. No. | Name of Airports | Type of Pax            | Domestic     | International |
| 1       | DELHI            | Embarking              | 129          | 129           |
| 2       | MUMBAI           | Embarking              | -            | 187           |
| 3       | BENGALURU        | Embarking              | 550          | 1500          |
| 4       | HYDERABAD        | Embarking              | 750          | 1500          |
| 5       | AHMEDABAD        | Embarking              | 450          | 880           |
| 6       | AMRITSAR         | Embarking              | 500          | 1300          |
| 7       | BHUBANESWAR      | Embarking              | 750          | 820           |
| 8       | CALICUT          | Embarking              | 430          | 720           |
| 9       | CHANDIGARH       | Embarking              | 725          | 1550          |
| 10      | CHENNAI          | Embarking              | 395          | 615           |
| 11      | COCHIN           | Embarking              | 270          | 570           |
| 12      | COIMBATORE       | Embarking              | 550          | 710           |
| 13      | GOA-DABOLIM      | Embarking              | 495          | 825           |
| 14      | GUWAHATI         | Embarking              | 555          | 770           |
|         |                  | Disembarking           | 235          | 330           |
| 15      | INDORE           | Embarking              | 600          | 650           |
| 16      | JAIPUR           | Embarking              | 805          | 980           |
| 17      | KANNUR           | Disembarking Embarking | 345 750      | 420 1680      |
| 18      | KOLKATA          | Embarking              | 628          | 1509          |
| 19      | LUCKNOW          | Embarking              | 850          | 1400          |
| 20      | MANGALORE        | Embarking              | 700 300      | 1050 450      |
|         |                  | Disembarking           |              |               |
| 21      | MOPA-GOA         | Embarking              | 820          | 1120          |
| 22      | PATNA            | Disembarking Embarking | 350          | 480           |
| 23      |                  |                        | 660          | -             |
|         | PUNE             | Embarking              | 387          | 745           |
| 24      | RAIPUR           | Embarking Embarking    | 500 630      | - -           |
| 25      | SHIRDI           |                        |              |               |
| 26      | SRINAGAR         | Disembarking Embarking | 270          | -             |
|         |                  | Embarking              | 960          | 1100 1540     |
| 27      | TRIVANDRUM       |                        | 770          |               |
| 28      | TIRUCHIRAPPALLI  | Disembarking Embarking | 330 600      | 660 800       |
| 29      | VARANASI         | Embarking              | 400          | 1300          |
| 30      | PORTBLAIR        | Embarking              | 709          | 709           |
| 31      | DEHRADUN         | Embarking              | 709          | 709           |