Delhi airport to be world's most expensive: IATA

GMR's move to raise airport charges will put India's aviation industry into intensive care from cost perspective

The New Delhi airport will become the world's most expensive, with its operator GMR Infrastructure permitted to raise charges, hurting the airport's ambition to become an aviation hub, an airline industry body said.

Earlier on Wednesday, GMR, which received a regulatory approval to raise the airport charges from May 15, called the increase "inadequate" to cover its costs.

Air ticket prices for international flights operating from the airport would rise by an average of Rs 580, while domestic fares would increase by an average Rs 290, GMR said in a statement.

The revised charges would push up the landing and parking fee for aircraft, apart from raising the user development fee, GMR said, a move that may discourage foreign airlines to operate to and from the Indian capital.

"India's aviation industry is already sick. This increase in Delhi's charges will put it in intensive care from a cost perspective," Albert Tjoeng, assistant director of corporate communications at International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a statement.

The move may also hurt demand from cost-conscious Indians, who are already battling high inflation and have the option of travelling by much cheaper trains.

Airports Authority of India, Germany's Fraport and Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd are GMR's consortium partners for the airport.