HC poser on airport user fee

New Delhi: The Airport Development Fee (ADF) levied at IGI Aiport on departing passengers was challenged before the Delhi High Court in a PIL on Wednesday. ADF consists of Rs 200 cess on all outgoing domestic passengers and Rs 1300 on international ones since March 1 2009.
Acting on the PIL, a division bench headed by the chief justice asked the centre, Airports Authorty of India (AAI) and DIAL to file their responses on the allegation that the fee was being charged without any legal basis. The court however, refused to grant any stay on the fee charged by DIAL nor did it issue notice.
Apart from alleging that the money being charged for airport development work was "placing undue burden on travelling public'' the PIL also argues that in return for the payment the passenger is not being offered any extra facility or value by DIAL. "There should be some co-relation with the value being offered to public in return for ADF'' the petitioners contended.
Praying for an immediate stay, the PIL also urged HC to create a separate account of the fee collected till now and freeze it so that in case this PIL succeeds in having that levy termed illegal, it can then be refunded to those who have paid up the money.
14/05/09 Times of India

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Categories: Airports May 2009