Airline tickets are flying high as a result of various components included in the fare, such as user development fee (UDF), aviation security fee and passenger service fee.

The structure of the airfare is divided into four parts -- airline component, airport operator fees, fees to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and charges paid to the government. The airline component comprises the basic fare, airline fuel charge, common user terminal equipment fee (if applicable) and convenience fee, which is applicable on bookings made online via debit or credit card.

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The AAI charges the passenger services fee, while the airport operator levies the airport development fee and the user development fee. Airfares also comprise service tax paid to the government.

Some of these components are explained below:

User development fee

One of the most common charges in the flight fare is the user development fee that is levied to fund the modernisation of airports. The varying amount depends on the airport from which the user takes the flight. User development fee for a passenger taking a flight from Delhi airport is Rs 63, while it is Rs 142 for those traveling from Mumbai.

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Airline fuel charge

Airlines sometimes pass on the higher fuel costs to the customers by charging ‘airline fuel charge’ or ‘fuel surcharge’ over and above the base fare. At present, some international airlines are charging fuel surcharge costs on flight tickets from April 2021 onwards.

Passenger service fee

The AAI takes the passenger services fee from the flyer to meet the expenditure on passenger facilities and security at airports. Only some airports charge this fee from passengers. For those flying from Kochi, Delhi and Bangalore, the passenger services fee is levied in the range of Rs 83 to Rs 236.

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CUTE fee

The Airports Authority of India may also charge the CUTE fees on passengers. The 'Common User Terminal Equipment' (CUTE) fees include charges for the use of metal detecting machines, escalators and other equipment in the airport. CUTE fee is sometimes also referred to as passenger handling fee. The charges vary from one airport to the other, ranging from Rs 50 and Rs 100 per passenger.

Passenger security fee

Flyers are also charged passenger security fees or aviation security fees for the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel deployed at the airports. In India, passengers are charged Rs 236 at all airports.

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(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)

First Published:Mar 11, 2022 7:08 PM IST