Srinagar, July 18: Passengers departing from Srinagar's Sheikh-ul-Alam International Airport pay the highest domestic User Development Fee (UDF) in India, at ₹1,050 per passenger, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The charge is more than eight times the ₹129 UDF levied at Delhi Airport.
The Ministry informed Parliament that 30 major airports currently collect UDF, with rates determined by the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) under a five-year tariff framework. The regulator fixes airport charges after considering capital expenditure, operating costs, depreciation, return on investment and passenger traffic.
Among domestic airports, Srinagar is followed by Lucknow (₹950), Jaipur (₹875), Patna (₹865), Bhubaneswar and Kannur (₹850 each), while Delhi (₹129), Mumbai (₹175) and Kochi (₹270) have the lowest UDF.
The Ministry also revealed that Srinagar Airport collected ₹211.83 crore in UDF during FY 2025, up from ₹120.4 crore in 2024, ₹87.57 crore in 2023, ₹62.02 crore in 2022 and ₹35.18 crore in 2021.
Officials said Srinagar's tariff structure differs because the airport is a civil enclave owned by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), making its operational and revenue model distinct from many other airports. Earlier AERA orders also noted that the airport faced a significant revenue shortfall during a previous control period, which influenced its tariff calculations.
AERA is currently reviewing Srinagar Airport's tariff for the third control period, examining factors such as traffic projections, capital expenditure, operating costs and non-aeronautical revenue. Any revision in the UDF will depend on the regulator's final tariff order after completing the consultation process.
An airport official said no decision has yet been taken on whether the current fee will be reduced, retained or revised.
Meanwhile, Srinagar Airport handled 360 flights and 68,842 passengers between July 10 and July 17, 2026. The busiest day was July 15, when 68 flights carried 11,303 passengers, while traffic briefly dipped on July 13 and 14 before returning to normal levels.
Srinagar, July 18: Passengers departing from Srinagar's Sheikh-ul-Alam International Airport pay the highest domestic User Development Fee (UDF) in India, at ₹1,050 per passenger, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The charge is more than eight times the ₹129 UDF levied at Delhi Airport.
The Ministry informed Parliament that 30 major airports currently collect UDF, with rates determined by the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) under a five-year tariff framework. The regulator fixes airport charges after considering capital expenditure, operating costs, depreciation, return on investment and passenger traffic.
Among domestic airports, Srinagar is followed by Lucknow (₹950), Jaipur (₹875), Patna (₹865), Bhubaneswar and Kannur (₹850 each), while Delhi (₹129), Mumbai (₹175) and Kochi (₹270) have the lowest UDF.
The Ministry also revealed that Srinagar Airport collected ₹211.83 crore in UDF during FY 2025, up from ₹120.4 crore in 2024, ₹87.57 crore in 2023, ₹62.02 crore in 2022 and ₹35.18 crore in 2021.
Officials said Srinagar's tariff structure differs because the airport is a civil enclave owned by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), making its operational and revenue model distinct from many other airports. Earlier AERA orders also noted that the airport faced a significant revenue shortfall during a previous control period, which influenced its tariff calculations.
AERA is currently reviewing Srinagar Airport's tariff for the third control period, examining factors such as traffic projections, capital expenditure, operating costs and non-aeronautical revenue. Any revision in the UDF will depend on the regulator's final tariff order after completing the consultation process.
An airport official said no decision has yet been taken on whether the current fee will be reduced, retained or revised.
Meanwhile, Srinagar Airport handled 360 flights and 68,842 passengers between July 10 and July 17, 2026. The busiest day was July 15, when 68 flights carried 11,303 passengers, while traffic briefly dipped on July 13 and 14 before returning to normal levels.
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