Hyderabad: Air travellers using Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) could soon experience a change in airport charges as the airport operator has proposed introducing a User Development Fee (UDF) for arriving passengers. The proposal has been submitted to the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) and is currently under review.
If approved, the revised fee structure would collect a portion of the UDF from passengers upon arrival instead of charging the entire amount before departure. Airport officials have stated that the proposal is intended to rebalance how passenger fees are collected without increasing the total amount payable.
According to the proposal, domestic travellers would pay a reduced UDF while departing and a smaller fee after landing. A similar model has also been suggested for international passengers, with the total passenger charge remaining unchanged despite the revised collection method.
The airport operator says the proposal is part of its long-term financial planning and infrastructure strategy. Hyderabad Airport has outlined plans to expand its facilities to accommodate rising passenger traffic in the coming years. Proposed developments include additional passenger handling capacity and other infrastructure upgrades aimed at supporting future growth.
Officials believe the revised charging system would align Hyderabad Airport with fee collection practices followed at several other airports across the country. They also maintain that distributing the fee between departure and arrival could reduce the financial burden on passengers at the time of departure.
The proposal, however, has not yet been approved. AERA will examine the submission, invite stakeholder feedback, and complete the regulatory consultation process before making a final decision. Until that process is completed, the existing UDF structure at Hyderabad Airport will remain unchanged.
Passengers travelling through Rajiv Gandhi International Airport are advised to rely on official announcements from the airport and aviation authorities regarding any future revisions to airport charges.
No timeline has been announced for the implementation of the proposed fee structure, and any changes will come into effect only after receiving regulatory clearance.
