Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, May 13: Airports tariff regulator AERA on Tuesday fixed the User Development Fee (UDF) for passengers travelling through the Noida International Airport, with departing domestic passengers set to pay Rs 490 and departing international passengers Rs 980 during the 2026-27 period.
According to the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA), arriving domestic passengers will be charged Rs 210, while arriving international passengers will pay Rs 420 as UDF.
The Noida International Airport (NIA), inaugurated on March 28, is scheduled to begin commercial operations from June 15.
AERA said the Rs 490 UDF for departing domestic passengers is lower than the Rs 653 proposed by airport operator Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd (YIAPL). Similarly, the regulator fixed the fee for departing international passengers at Rs 980 against the Rs 1,200 sought by the operator.
“These rates are the same as decided in the ad-hoc tariff order issued in August 2025,” AERA stated.
The regulator has approved tariffs for the airport’s first control period spanning 2026 to 2031, during which the UDF for both domestic and international passengers — arriving and departing — will gradually increase.
Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, will operate the airport under a public-private partnership model.
AERA said the charges fixed for the Noida airport are comparable with the national average UDF levied at major airports and are also within the range charged at non-major airports.
To encourage airlines to introduce new routes and expand operations during the airport’s initial years, the regulator has approved a Variable Tariff Plan (VTP), mainly covering landing and parking charges.
For the period from June 15, 2026 to March 31, 2027, landing charges have been fixed at Rs 725 per metric tonne for domestic flights and Rs 1,088 per metric tonne for international flights. These charges will gradually rise to Rs 1,081 and Rs 1,622 respectively by FY31.
Parking charges during the current financial year will be Rs 25 for the first two hours after the free parking period and Rs 50 beyond four hours, with marginal increases planned over the concession period ending March 31, 2031.
Addressing concerns over airport tariffs, AERA noted that Yield per Passenger (YPP) is generally higher for greenfield airports compared to established brownfield airports due to substantial upfront infrastructure investments and statutory compliance costs.
By 2030-31, the UDF for departing domestic passengers is projected to rise to Rs 693, while departing international passengers may pay Rs 1,461. The fee for arriving domestic and international passengers during that period will increase to Rs 297 and Rs 626 respectively.
The airport, whose code is ‘DXN’, is being developed in four phases along with a dedicated cargo terminal. The 40-year concession period for the project began on October 1, 2021.
In its first phase, featuring one runway and one terminal, the airport will be capable of handling 12 million passengers annually. Upon completion of the fourth phase, the capacity is expected to increase to 70 million passengers per year.