Intl airlines dodge Indian airports on high user charges

Mumbai: Airport user charges, including landing, parking, terminal navigation and passenger service fee, at Indian airports are nearly 25% higher than similar charges in other international airports, resulting in international airlines dodging Mumbai, Delhi and other metros as stopover points for long haul flights.
For instance, Singapore Airlines has a long haul flight from Singapore to the US sector and has a stopover in China, since the airport fee at Beijing International airport or Pudong airport in Shanghai amounts to not more than 90 yuan ($111).
And if it were to consider Mumbai airport for a stopover, the airline would have to pay 'terminal navigational landing charges' of Rs 989 ($23) for 10,000 kg and Rs 5,951 ($143) for 10,000 kg and above.
Landing charges for over 50,000 kg would be Rs 12,400 ($298) + Rs 376 ($9) per every excess 1,000 kg, apart from a service fee of Rs 200 per passenger. These charges are subject to a service tax of 12%. Charges at Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore, all managed by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) at present, are on the higher side.
Similar is the case with British Airways. It has long haul flights of over 21 hours from London to Sydney with Changi airport in Singapore as a stopover.
26/04/07 Shaheen Mansuri/Financial Express

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Categories: Airports Apr 2007, Foreign Apr 2007