Heavy blow for passengers including expats; 50 percent increase in user fee at Thiruvananthapuram airport

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It has been reported that the Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has given permission to increase the user fee by 50 per cent at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. At present, the user fee is Rs 950 for international passengers and Rs 450 for domestic passengers. As per the new tariff, domestic passengers will have to pay Rs 770, while international passengers will have to pay Rs 1,540 (excluding taxes). According to the report, this amount is less than the hike demanded by the airport. However, the Adani Group, which is in charge of managing the airport, has not responded about this matter.

Meanwhile, Thiruvananthapuram International Airport saw record passenger numbers in the first two months of the current fiscal year. In May, the airport handled a record-breaking 4.44 lakh passengers, including 2.15 lakh foreign and 2.28 lakh domestic passengers. The goal is to manage 50 lakh passengers in the current fiscal year.

At the same time, the airport has received permission to undertake development work worth Rs 1,200 crore over the next five years. Major development projects include runway recarpeting, international terminal expansion, preparation of master plan and construction of new Air Traffic Control (ATC).