Adani-run Mangaluru Airport hikes UDF in poll-bound K'taka; arriving passengers not spared

Flying from Mangaluru? It's going to get costlier from April. The Mangaluru International Airport had sought from Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) revision in aeronautical tariff so best in class experience can be provided to passengers. Now, the airport tariff-fixing body has given its nod to Adani Airports-owned MIA to hike User Development Fee (UDF) in stages up until March 2026.

In another major change, Mangaluru airport, which until now only takes UDF from departing passengers, will start charging passengers arriving at the airport. This comes into effect on February 1, 2023.

Currently, the UDF charges for domestic and international departing passengers is Rs 150 and Rs 825, respectively. These charges will only go higher starting next month. Find all the details of the revised UDF charges below:

Since arriving passengers will also be charged UDF from February, there will be periodic hike in those charges every year. Take a look below:

Adani Airports controls seven airports across the country, including Mumbai International Airport, Ahmedabad International Airport, Lucknow International Airport, Mangaluru International Airport, Jaipur & Guwahati International Airports.

Karnataka Assembly Polls nearing

The timing of the hike in UDF at Mangaluru International Airport in poll-bound Karnataka is bound to draw some backlash. Karnataka goes to polls soon and there's a strong tiff between BJP and Congress while AAP is also a crucial contender in the race. The opposition party may look at the hike as an opportunity to gain voters' sympathy.