AERA decision- Fireworks in the air
Neelam Mathews April 25, 2012 One man's food is another's poison. Even as Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) welcomed the revision in aeronautical charges promulgated by AERA, IATA cried foul. The revised tariffs will be charged in the form of an enhanced Landing and Parking fee for aircraft and a User Development Fee (UDF) for passengers and will be applicable from May 15. “The increase approved by AERA is extremely disappointing. This will make Delhi the world’s most expensive airport. It will also have a larger impact on India and its economy, with an expected 5-8% decrease in demand at Delhi as a result of higher costs, a fall in tourist arrivals and further damage to local and international airline connectivity. This is a big step backwards for Delhi’s ambition to be an aviation hub,” says Albert Tjoeng, IATA’s spokesman for Asia Pacific. However DIAL has another point of view. It says considering that the charges were stagnant for the last decade (since 2001), “th...