Passengers flying in and out of the Delhi airport will get a refund from airlines for the higher airport charges paid for travel after July 7 in case they book their flight tickets before the government order slashing tariff by over 89% came into effect.
“Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA)…has decided for refund of the excess UDF [User Development Fees] collected from passengers travelling after July 7, 2017 from or to IGI Airport, Delhi,” Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) chief B.S. Bhullar said in an order issued on Tuesday.
Passengers who have already completed their travel by paying higher airport charges in their airfares, between July 7 and July 18, will need to file a claim with their respective airlines within 45 days for domestic journey and 60 days for international journey.
“In respect of passengers who booked the ticket on or before July 7, 2017 but are yet to commence the travel, airlines shall refund the excess amount, if any, to passengers without waiting for such claim from the passenger," the DGCA order said. The excess airport charges amount will be refunded from the same channel through which the air ticket booking was made, a senior AERA official said.
Domestic passengers who travelled out of the Delhi airport are entitled for claiming a refund between ₹235-₹480 depending upon the distance travelled. Inbound travellers will get a refund ₹207-₹415 from airlines.
For international passengers departing from Delhi airport, the refund will be in the range of ₹520-₹1,086 and arriving passengers can claim ₹462-₹933.
However, passenger representatives said the onus of refunding the excess airport charges should lie with the airlines. “The airlines should make efforts to contact the passengers. There may be a lot of passengers who may be completely unaware of the government’s decision to refund the excess UDF collected charged in their airfares,” said Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) National President D Sudhakara Reddy said.
Following a Supreme Court directive, the DGCA ordered a reduction in Delhi airport charges by 89.40%. According to the new tariff structure which came into effect from July 7, a UDF of ₹10 and ₹45 will be levied on outbound domestic and international passengers, respectively, at Delhi airport. There will be no UDF on passengers arriving at the Delhi airport on international and domestic flights.
Earlier GMR Infrastructure-led Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) levied between ₹245 and ₹490 as UDF on each departing passenger and ₹207-₹415 on each arriving one, on domestic flights.
International passengers departing from Delhi airport were charged ₹565-₹1,131 and arriving passengers had to shell out ₹462-₹933.
The DGCA said that the unclaimed amount, “duly verified by chartered accountant, may be remitted to DIAL by airlines which shall be adjusted while determining the aeronautical tariff of DIAL airport for the next control period.” Airport charges are determined by airport regulator AERA for a period of five years, known as a control period.
The move to reduce airport charges followed an order passed by the Supreme Court earlier this month ending a long-standing dispute between AERA and DIAL on airport charges.
The Supreme Court vacated an order passed by Delhi High Court which had put a stay on implementing a fresh tariff order issued by the airport tariff regulator.
The new airport charges are based on an order passed by AERA in December 2015 for 2014-19, which could not be implemented due to pending litigation.