The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has announced user development fees (UDF) for Noida International Airport, aligning with the ad hoc aeronautical tariff approved last August. Domestic departure charges have been set at Rs 490, while international departures will cost Rs 980. Arrival fees are fixed at Rs 210 for domestic and Rs 420 for international flights. The tariff will remain in effect until March 31 next year.
Scrutiny and Concerns Over Fee Structure
The UDF rates came under scrutiny after IndiGo, the first airline to announce flights from Noida, highlighted last week that the interim charges were significantly higher than those at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI). At IGI, domestic departure rates stand at Rs 129 and arrivals at Rs 56, while international departures are Rs 650 and arrivals Rs 275. IndiGo warned that the differential tariff could make flying from Noida costlier than Delhi, potentially reducing passenger footfall at the new airport.
Political and Public Reactions
Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh wrote to the Prime Minister, chief minister, Union civil aviation minister, and UP chief secretary on May 8, seeking a reassessment of the charges. In his letter, Singh stated that the proposed fee structure “appears to be contrary to public interest” at the initial stage. UDF is levied on passengers by AERA to recover infrastructure and operational costs and is added to the airfare.
Proposed vs. Approved Charges
Yamuna International Airport Private Ltd, the operator of Noida airport, had proposed much higher charges in March — Rs 653 for domestic departures and Rs 1,200 for international departures. However, AERA approved lower rates on Wednesday after a review, while also allowing a variable tariff structure that permits UDF charges to be revised each financial year. By 2030-31, domestic departure fees are projected to rise to Rs 693 and arrival fees to Rs 297, while international departure charges will reach Rs 1,461 and arrival charges Rs 626.
Landing and Parking Charges
Landing charges for aircraft have been fixed at Rs 725 per metric tonne for domestic flights and Rs 1,088 per MT for international flights for this fiscal year, rising gradually to Rs 1,081 and Rs 1,622, respectively, by 2030-31. Parking charges for all aircraft — domestic and international — will be free for the first two hours, Rs 25 for the next two hours, and Rs 50 beyond four hours.
Operational Timeline and Traffic Projections
NIAL nodal officer Shailendra Bhatia stated that the AERA order clears the way for commercial operations to begin from June 15. Officials project total passenger traffic of 59.4 lakh in 2026-27, with domestic flyers accounting for 57 lakh (95%) and international passengers at 2.4 lakh. Cargo handling is estimated at 1,12,707 metric tonnes — 79,390 domestic and 33,316 international — with 43,188 air traffic movements projected for the year, comprising 40,458 domestic and 2,730 international.
IndiGo Adjusts Fares
IndiGo on Wednesday lowered fares on several routes from Noida following concerns over ticket prices being significantly higher than those from IGI. The airline’s portal showed the Noida-Lucknow fare at Rs 3,394 for June 15, which is on par with IGI, compared to an earlier listing of over Rs 5,000. The Noida-Bengaluru fare for June 15 was listed at Rs 7,721, compared to Rs 8,910 from Delhi.
