HYDERABAD: Passenger traffic at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) is projected to cross 51 million annually by FY2030-31, marking a nearly 69% increase from the estimated 30.48 million passengers in FY2025-26, according to the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority’s (AERA) Consultation Paper for the Fourth Control Period. Cumulative passenger traffic during FY2026-27 to FY2030-31 is projected at 218.3 million passengers.
The projections come as Hyderabad airport prepares for a major infrastructure expansion to meet growing domestic and international air travel demand. The consultation paper notes that the existing passenger terminal has a capacity of 34 million passengers per annum (MPPA), while traffic reached an estimated 30.48 million in FY2025-26, indicating that the facility is nearing its designed capacity.
RGIA has also outperformed traffic projections made during the previous control period. Against AERA’s earlier forecast of 112.55 million passengers, it handled 118.12 million passengers, exceeding projections by around 5%.
Proposal to revise passenger user charges
GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) has also proposed a significant revision in passenger user charges and other aeronautical tariffs for FY2026-27 to FY2030-31, citing the need to recover investments made towards airport expansion and meet rising operational costs.
Under the proposal, departing domestic passengers would pay a User Development Fee (UDF) of Rs 580, while arriving domestic passengers would be charged Rs 170 from September 1, 2026. For international passengers, the proposed UDF is Rs 1,150 for embarking passengers and Rs 350 for disembarking passengers. The rates would remain unchanged through March 2030 before declining during FY2030-31.