Bengaluru: Passengers arriving at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) will have to pay a User Development Fee (UDF) from September 1 under a revised tariff structure issued by the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA).

The new tariff order for Bengaluru airport’s fourth control period, covering the financial years from 2026-27 to 2030-31, was announced by Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) on Friday.

Under the revised structure, the UDF will be shared between arriving and departing passengers. Until now, the fee structure has largely been levied on departing passengers.

Domestic arrivals to pay Rs 125

Domestic passengers arriving at KIA will have to pay a UDF of Rs 125 from September 1.

For domestic passengers departing from the airport, the UDF will be Rs 300.

The revised structure means the combined domestic UDF will be Rs 425 for a departing passenger, compared with the existing Rs 550.

The new tariff will therefore reduce the combined UDF payable by domestic departing passengers while introducing a separate charge for those arriving at the airport.

International passengers to face revised charges

International passengers will also see the UDF distributed between arrivals and departures.

An international passenger departing from KIA will pay Rs 997 as UDF, while an arriving international passenger will pay Rs 426.

Under the revised structure, the combined UDF for an international departing passenger will be Rs 1,423, compared with the existing Rs 1,500.

As with domestic passengers, the new system redistributes the UDF between those arriving and departing from the airport.

Revised tariff to remain until August 2029

The revised UDF rates will remain in force until August 2029.

After that, the charges will be reviewed based on the progress of major infrastructure projects planned at KIA.

The review will take into account developments relating to Terminal 2 Phase 2 and other associated airport facilities.

AERA has adopted the revised structure as part of its tariff order for the fourth control period, which extends from 2026-27 to 2030-31.

AERA adopts arrival-departure UDF model

AERA has decided to distribute the User Development Fee between arriving and departing passengers.

The approach is in line with the tariff structure adopted at several newly commissioned and major airports across the country.

The revised model is expected to spread the collection of development-related charges between both categories of passengers.

BIAL said the tariff order takes into consideration the substantial infrastructure investments planned to meet the airport’s future capacity requirements.

The new tariff structure is linked to the airport’s long-term expansion and development plans.

Major infrastructure projects planned

KIA is planning several major infrastructure projects to support its future growth.

These include Terminal 2 Phase 2, the Terminal 2 Phase 2 apron, airfield works, road and landside infrastructure and other aeronautical development projects.

The planned expansion is aimed at increasing the airport’s capacity and strengthening facilities required to handle future passenger and aircraft traffic.

According to BIAL, certain additional tariffs linked to specific major projects will be introduced only after the concerned infrastructure is completed, commissioned and put into operation.

Such tariffs will be implemented according to the process prescribed by AERA.

Existing rates continue until August 31

The existing UDF structure for domestic and international departing passengers will remain unchanged until August 31.

The revised tariff order, including the UDF on arriving passengers, will take effect from September 1.

Passengers travelling through KIA after the new structure comes into force will therefore be subject to the revised UDF rates applicable to their domestic or international arrival and departure.

The introduction of an arrival-based UDF marks a significant change in the airport’s tariff structure.

While domestic and international arriving passengers will now pay a separate fee, the combined UDF applicable to departing passengers under the revised system will be lower than the current charges.

The tariff revision also comes as Bengaluru airport prepares for major infrastructure investments, including the next phase of Terminal 2 and related airfield and landside development.

The revised charges will remain in place until August 2029, when they are expected to be reviewed in relation to the progress and commissioning of the planned infrastructure projects.