Five more airports to levy development fee on passengers

August 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the imposition of airport development fee (ADF) on passengers by the airport service providers. The Ministry of Civil Aviation directed the all airlines flying out of Delhi to collect a development fee from the passengers while issuing tickets from March this year.

July 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The new aviation regulator, Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA), will settle all contentious issues in the aviation sector, including the airport development fee issue, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said here Thursday. Replying to questions in parliament, Patel said: "AERA has been constituted by an act of parliament and has started functioning.

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Out of a total plan outlay of Rs.12,165 crore for the civil aviation ministry, a sum of Rs.190 crore will be provided as budgetary support to various organisations under the ministry, the government said Monday after Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presented the annual budget in Parliament. Out of the Rs.190 crore, India's airport developer, Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been allocated Rs.99.15 crore for development of airports.

May 4th, 2009 DUBAI - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has tightened security at airports to spot passengers infected with the deadly influenza A(H1N1) virus, also called swine flu, WAM reported. Officials at Dubai airports said they are working closely with the health department to detect suspected cases of swine flu.

March 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The country's airports operator, Airports Authority of India (AAI), Friday said airline operators owe it Rs.11 billion (Rs.1,100 crore), of which Air India alone has to pay RS.7 billion (Rs.700 crore). 'We are in the process of settling this issue with the airlines.

March 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government Monday asked all airlines flying out of Delhi to collect development fee from the passengers while issuing air tickets, and not when they are checking in at the airport. 'The development fee should then be remitted to DIAL (Delhi International Airport Ltd, the developer of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport) in line with the system procedure,' a statement issued by the civil aviation ministry said.

February 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A gleaming new domestic terminal awaits air passengers in India's capital when they fly out early April, with its developers giving a sneak preview of the upgraded infrastructure Thursday. Exclusive driveway for entry, inline baggage screening system, 72-counter check-in facility, spacious area for food and beverage outlets and attractive retail space are some of the features of the new terminal.

February 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Defending the government's decision to levy surcharge on passengers at the Delhi airport, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel Thursday said 'airports of certain scale' being developed by the Airports Authority of India could also do the same. 'This should be taken in the right spirit.

February 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government Friday approved the levying of a development fee on passengers flying out of Mumbai airport, who will have to pay Rs.100 per trip for domestic flights and Rs.600 for flights abroad. The approval comes after a Feb 9 decision for passengers flying out of Delhi.

February 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel was on an overdrive Friday, flying to as many as five cities during the day to kickstart the upgrade and modernisation projects of their airports. If 8:30 a.m.

February 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government is likely to allow Mumbai's airport developer to charge an additional fee from passengers to help it bridge its development fund deficit, a senior official said Wednesday. It had recently allowed the airport developer in the national capital to charge a similar fee.

February 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Tuesday asked the government to reverse its decision to allow the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) to charge 'development fees' from passengers. The government announced Monday that DIAL would charge from March Rs.200 from domestic passengers and Rs.1,300 from international passengers due to the company's inability to raise money from lenders and the market.

February 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government Monday approved additional fee of Rs.200 on all domestic passengers and Rs.1,300 per head on those bound overseas from the airport in the national capital as access development charges to its developer. The development fee will be paid to the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which has the Bangalore-based infrastructure major GMR and the state-run Airports Authority of India as principal promoters.

February 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government Monday approved additional fee of Rs.200 on all domestic passengers and Rs.1,300 per head on those going abroad from the airport in the national capital as access development charges to its developer. The development fee will be paid to the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which has the Bangalore-based infrastructure major GMR and the state-run Airports Authority of India as principal promoters.

January 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Airfares are all set to go up once again as the government is close to working out the airport development fee (ADF) charges - an additional fee for outgoing passengers - at Delhi and Mumbai airports, a government official said Tuesday. 'The ADF charges are being worked out and should be in place by early next month,' a senior official of the civil aviation ministry said.