IATA wants AERA to rationalise airport user charges

I / Geneva December 15, 2009, 18:54 IST

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has put India on the 'Wall of Shame' for hiking airport user charges by over 200 per cent, but hopes that the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) would play a role to rationalise these charges paid by airlines and passengers.

Observing that India, Dubai and London Heathrow had been put on the 'Wall of Shame" for hiking airport charges substantially, International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General and CEO Giovanni Bisignani said it was "absolutely amazing" that user charges in Delhi and Mumbai airports had been increased by 200 per cent.

"The new airport development fee and airport charges have increased by USD 587 million in India," he said, adding that AERA chief Yashwant Bhave would be visiting IATA headquarters here in January when he would be briefed about what could be done to rationalise these charges and what was happening in this regard the world over.

Bisignani said the airports in Singapore, Malaysia, Toronto, Copenhagen and Paris have reduced these charges or frozen them at previous year levels.

IATA's Director Airport and ATC Charges Jeff Poole said that in India, the airlines and passengers were paying now for tomorrow's infrastructure and said "we have for long been shouting in wilderness" in case of India where there was "a very compelling case why these charges should not be lowered or some taxes removed".