Navi Mumbai airport can hike passenger fees by 6% from next April, regulator says

Adani-run Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIAL) has received the green light from the country’s civil aviation ministry’s tariff regulator to increase domestic user development charges (UDFs) by 6% from April next year. The operator itself had proposed a 20 percent increase from April 1, 2027. Navi Mumbai airport’s UDFs are currently the second highest of any major Indian airport after GMR-operated Hyderabad airport.

On Wednesday, the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) approved user domestic charges for the airport. It was stated that domestic passengers departing from Navi Mumbai airport between June 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027 will pay a fee of 2020 TL. ₹Will pay until 620 passengers arrive ₹270. These are the same rates passengers currently pay.

By acquiring UDF, Navi Mumbai airport may increase its prices by 6% from April 1, 2027 to March 31, 2031. ₹738 for domestic passengers departing from the airport and ₹322 for those who arrived. Between July 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027, the UDF did not request a raise. ₹19,650 crore, the airport became operational on December 25, 2025.

Why do new airports charge more?

A week ago, Aera had allowed a 10% annual increase in UDFs for Noida International Airport, owned by Zurich Airport International AG, which is expected to start commercial operations on June 15. Domestic passengers departing from the airport will pay ₹490 and those who come will pay ₹210.

Navi Mumbai airport’s UDFs are currently higher than Noida International Airport and are the second highest in the country after GMR-operated Hyderabad airport. ₹750 for domestic departures. Bengaluru airport’s UDF of Rs-550 for domestic departures is the third highest among major airports, followed by Kolkata ( ₹547) and Chennai ( ₹491).

UDFs are significantly lower at Delhi’s GMR-operated Indira Gandhi International Airport ( ₹129 and ₹56) and Mumbai’s Adani-operated Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport ( ₹175 and ₹75) is among India’s first privatized airports.

Generally, airlines collect UDFs from passengers as part of the ticket price and forward them to airport operators. Adani-owned NMIAL said in a statement that airport charges for greenfield airports are generally higher in the initial years compared to a mature abandoned airport, to support investment recovery and support viable airport operations. Therefore, the tariff structure of a greenfield airport cannot be directly compared to established, operated brownfield airports with significantly higher traffic volumes, it added.

At least one consultant said it was ‘unfair’ to compare UDFs between airports but added that recovery time needed to be spread out. “The comparison between Navi Mumbai and Noida, or Navi Mumbai and Delhi or Mumbai, in terms of user development charges is a bit unfair. Airports like Delhi and Mumbai are older, mature airports. So significant cost recovery must have occurred. So yes, the logic of users paying higher charges for capital cost requirements in the early years is correct,” said Gurmukh Singh Bawa, general secretary of the Air Travelers Association.

“But in the current context, should the control period or improvement period be just five years? If you ask me, it should be a 10-year period because the lifespan of the building or construction is much longer. This will reduce the burden on UDF on passengers and make some of these new airports more competitive,” he said.