Trivandrum airport: Row over user fee for new terminal

Thiruvananthapuram: Even before passengers could rejoice the starting of the new terminal of Trivandrum International Airport, their happiness has been cut short due to high User Development Fee(UDF) levied.
The new terminal can handle upto 1500 passengers during peak hours, that's 1000 passengers more than the old terminal. The airport caters to over 16 lakh passengers every year. Two-third of this being low income workers in the Gulf. A UDF of Rs. 775 would be charged from the passengers.
But the authorities say they have no choice.
The terminal was built at a cost of nearly Rs. 300. Officials of state-run Airports Authority Of India say that to recover the investment cost UDF is a must.
"It's surprising that even the nearby Kochi airport built under private-public partnership has not levied any user development fees from passengers," said Muralidharan the president of Kerala Travel Agents Association.
11/11/10 NDTV.com

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Categories: Airports Nov 2010