Flying from Kolkata to be more expensive from Feb 16

Domestic, intl flyers to pay Rs 424 & Rs 1,060 as UDF from April

Flying from Kolkata airport will be expensive from next month, with the Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) approving of User Development Fee (UDF).The order will come into effect from February 16. It was approved on January 23. AERA has approved collection of user development fee from departing passengers.

Passengers will have to pay Rs 400 (domestic) and Rs 1,000 (international) as UDF between February 16-March 31, 2014. From April onwards the passengers will be charged Rs 424 (domestic) and Rs 1,060 (international) as user development fee, according to order issued by AERA on Kolkata airport. The charges will be in effect for a year.

There is no Airport Development Fee (ADF) levied for passengers flying in and out of Kolkata and Chennai.

Just a week ago, AERA approved of the introduction of UDF for Mumbai airport also for departing passengers effective from February 1. Passengers will have to pay Rs 346 (domestic) and Rs 692 (international) as UDF between February-March 31. From April onwards the passengers will be charged Rs 274 (domestic) and Rs 574 (international) as user development fee.

The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the project cost of Kolkata airport at Rs 1,942 crore whereas the revised cost shot up to Rs 2,325 crore.

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) is still awaiting the approval for cost escalation of Rs 382 crore from the Public Investment Board (PIB), a year after building the Kolkata airport. For approval of any amount above Rs 250 crore, it is sought first from the ministry and then the PIB (Public Investment Board).

“The contract was awarded at a higher cost at the time of the tender process itself. Moreover, there was a slight change in the scope of the project also. The delay was on part of the ministry of external affairs as there were Chinese bidders for passenger boarding bridges," a senior-level AAI official told Business Standard.

The decision on Kolkata airport was taken in 2007-08. The inter-ministerial group agreed the project would be financed from internal resources in August 2008. The expected completion for the project was in 2011. However, AAI finally commissioned it in March 2012.