AERA implements steep hikes on user development fee at Jaipur airport

Flying in and out of Jaipur is set to get more expensive as the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) has hiked the user development fee (UDF) at the Jaipur Airport by more than double to Rs 805 per passenger, while a charge of Rs 345 has been imposed on arriving visitors.

The fee hikes have been updated on the basis of proposals for development worth Rs 6,000 crore submitted by the Jaipur International Airport Ltd (JIAL).

At present, the UDF on domestic departure is Rs 394 per passenger which will be 805 from August 1. There was no UDF on domestic arrival at present but now Rs 345 will be charged per passenger on domestic arrival.

The revised tariff by AERA, which regulates the aeronautical charges, has been done under the set process considering the massive infrastructure development work that the JIAL is set to undertake in the next few years to enhance passenger convenience and security.

However, the UDF for international departure has been reduced from the present Rs 1,237 per passenger to Rs 980 per passenger from August 1 to March 31, 2025.

Like domestic arrival, UDF has also been imposed on international arrivals, which will be Rs 420 per passenger for the current fiscal year.

The AERA issued an order on Friday to revise the UDF for domestic and international passengers at Jaipur airport for 2024-25, 2025-26, and 2026-27.

The revised fee for the current fiscal year will be applicable from August 1.

According to the AERA order, the UDF per departing passenger for domestic travel will be Rs 805 from August 1 this year to March 31, 2025.

This will be Rs 875 per passenger in 2025-26 and Rs 980 in 2026-27.

At the same time, the UDF per passenger departing for international travel will be 980 from August 1 this year to March 31, 2025 and it will be Rs 1,260 per passenger in 2025-26 and Rs 1,400 in 2026-27.

Revision of tariff takes place in every five years at all the airports across the country but delay in case of Jaipur by two years was due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a JIAL official.

The official told PTI here that the revision takes place on the basis of development plans, which involve huge costs.

The JIAL submitted a multi-year proposal to AERA, which regulates the aeronautical charges and has a well-defined process of determining tariff and after consultation with relevant stakeholders and verification of the investment and expenditure plan, essential for effectively running the operations decided on the tariff.

He said JIAL has carried out a master planning exercise to identify capital expenditure necessary for safety, security, passenger convenience and optimal utilisation of the airport and submitted the plan accordingly to the AERA.

The officials said the development plan includes a new terminal, T-3, along with development of new infrastructure at existing Terminals 1 and 2 to cater to burgeoning passenger growth from the existing 5 million passengers per annum (MPPA) to 9.8 MPPA in 2026-27.

The JIAL said in a statement that JIAL has earmarked an infusion of Rs 6,000 crore towards the development of infrastructure and facilities in a phased manner.

Currently, Jaipur has two existing passenger terminals -- T1 and T2. Currently, T2 is operational, while T1 is not.

"JIAL will operationalise the existing Terminal T1 and refurbish T2 for improved passenger experience by deploying additional boarding gates, entry gates, additional seating, a baggage handling system (BHS) for faster processing of bags and create dedicated pickup and drop-off zones for smooth movement of vehicles and passenger convenience," the statement said.

Construction of T3 will serve to enhance existing infrastructure.

Initiatives like DigiYatra, Passenger Wi-Fi and other IoT-based projects are also planned to enhance passenger experience.

JIAL, a subsidiary of Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, was handed over the operations of the Jaipur airport by the Airports Authority of India in October 2021 for a period of 50 years.