The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) has increased the user development fee (UDF) at the Jaipur Airport by more than double to Rs 805 per passenger, while an additional charge of Rs 345 has been imposed on arriving guests. As a result, flying in and out of Jaipur is expected to become more expensive.
The Jaipur International Airport Ltd.’s (JIAL) development proposals totaling Rs 6,000 crore have been the foundation for updating the price increases. The UDF on domestic departure is currently Rs 394 per person; starting on August 1, it will increase to Rs 805 per passenger. Currently, there is no UDF at domestic entry however, from now on, each passenger will be charged Rs 345 upon domestic arrival.
AERA’s updated tariff, which governs aeronautical charges, was completed in accordance with the established procedure, taking into account the significant infrastructure development work that the JIAL is scheduled to conduct in the coming years to improve security and passenger convenience. On the other hand, from August 1 to March 31, 2025, the UDF for international departure has been lowered from the current Rs 1,237 per passenger to Rs 980 per passenger. Similar to domestic arrivals, international arrivals will also be subject to UDF, which for the current fiscal year would be Rs 420 per person.
An order to amend the UDF for both domestic and international travellers at Jaipur airport for the years 2024–2025, 2025–2026 and 2026–2027 was issued by the AERA on Friday. The revised fee for the current fiscal year will be applicable from August 1.
The UDF per leaving passenger for domestic travel will be Rs 805 from August 1, 2025, to March 31, 2025, following the AERA regulation. In 2025–2026, this will cost Rs 875 per passenger, and in 2026–2027, Rs 980. Simultaneously, the UDF for each person leaving for overseas travel would be Rs 1,260 in 2025–2026 and Rs 1,400 in 2026–2027; from August 1 to March 31, 2025, it will be 980.
Every five years, tariffs are revised at all airports in the nation while a JIAL official stated that the Covid-19 outbreak caused a two-year delay in the revision process in the instance of Jaipur.
The official told PTI here that the revision takes place on the basis of development plans, which involve huge costs. 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 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.
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. “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.
(with inputs from PTI)