Be prepared to pay more to fly to Bangalore

If you are visiting Bengaluru after three weeks, be prepared to shell out more than Rs 1,000 on airline and taxi fare, reports Lalatendu Mishra.

If you are visiting Bengaluru after three weeks, be prepared to shell out more than Rs 1,000 on airline and taxi fare. Hectic lobbying is on to spare domestic passengers from the purview of User Development Fee (UDF), a charge levied by the airport operator.

HT Image

But the management of the new airport at Devanahalli has refused to budge. “Zero fee is not acceptable. We have invested a lot of money and we need to have return on investment,” Albert Brunner, CEO, Bengaluru International Airport Ltd (BIAL) told HT. BIAL has slashed the UDF to Rs 360 for the first two months. As per the agreement, domestic passengers would pay Rs 675 while international passengers would pay Rs 955 while departing from Bangalore.

“Despite the inflation, we have waived off any escalation on UDF. Now the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is opposing lower amount of UDF for domestic passengers and is demanding to make it same for all passengers. This issue has to be sorted out,” Brunner said.