UDF for Domestic Air Travel Soon

By Anshul Dhamija

BANGALORE: If you thought the Chennai-Bangalore ticket price was already unaffordable – a one-way ticket ranges between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 – be prepared to shell out another Rs 675.

Come August 24, the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) would complete three months of operations. With that, comes an increase in airfares for domestic passengers, as the much-debated user development fee (UDF) will come into force.

When BIA opened on May 24, the airport promoters BIAL, had toed the line of the government and spared domestic passengers of paying UDF of Rs 675 (plus taxes) for the first three months. As the date draws near, BIAL officials have confirmed to TOI that they have done a UDF price revision for domestic passengers, which they have communicated to the civil aviation ministry.

“We have made a revision on the UDF,” said a BIAL official spokesperson but refused to divulge any further details, citing it’s confidential.

When TOI contacted civil aviation ministry officials, they said that no decision had been taken. Sources in the ministry though said that there might be a delay in the imposition of UDF by 2-3 months as people were currently reeling under the constant air fare hikes.

But officials of GMR who operate the new airport at Hyderabad said that they are expecting the ministry’s approval on UDF in a week’s time. The new Hyderabad airport had opened a month earlier than BIA, and had also exempted domestic passengers from paying UDF for the first three months.

“We have communicated to the ministry that we would be charging an inter-state UDF of Rs 600 and an intra-state UDF of Rs 300 for domestic passengers travelling out of Hyderabad,” said a senior official of GMR.

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