VISAKHAPATNAM: Commercial flight operations currently being handled at the Visakhapatnam Airport within the Naval Airfield will cease once the upcoming Bhogapuram International Airport becomes operational, with all civilian air traffic proposed to be shifted to the new facility, according to the latest tariff order issued by the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA).
The order, issued for GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL), approves an ad hoc tariff structure that will come into effect from the Commercial Operation Date (COD) of the Bhogapuram airport and remain in force until regular aeronautical tariffs are determined.
The tariff framework provides details of charges that will be levied on both passengers and airlines using airport. Domestic passengers departing from Bhogapuram will pay a User Development Fee (UDF) of Rs 835, while arriving passengers will be charged Rs 355.
For international passengers, the UDF has been fixed at Rs 1,255 for departure and Rs 545 for arrival. AERA noted that the Bhogapuram International Airport is being developed as a greenfield airport with an initial passenger handling capacity of 6 million passengers per annum.
The airport is expected to serve as the primary commercial aviation gateway for North Coastal Andhra Pradesh after the transition of civilian flight operations from Visakhapatnam.
The order also specifies charges payable by airlines for using airport infrastructure. Domestic carriers will be charged landing fees of Rs 1,400 per metric tonne (MT) of an aircraft’s maximum take-off weight, while international airlines will pay Rs 1,975 per MT.
Attractive sops for airline expansion at new airport
To encourage airlines to expand operations from Bhogapuram, AERA has approved a Variable Landing Charges scheme offering incentives for additional frequencies and new routes.
Airlines introducing new services on existing routes will pay 80 per cent of the standard landing charge, while those launching new routes will pay 60 per cent of the standard rate. Domestic flights landing between 11 pm and 6 am will be charged only 25 per cent of the normal landing fee, while dedicated freighter aircraft will be exempt from landing charges.
Aircraft parking will be free for the first two hours.
Thereafter, parking charges will be levied at Rs 19 per MT per hour and Rs 23 per MT per hour for longer durations.
The airport will also collect charges for passenger processing systems such as Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE), Common Use Self-Service (CUSS) and Baggage Reconciliation Systems (BRS). These have been fixed at Rs 75 per departing domestic passenger and $1.25 per departing international passenger.
The authority has exempted certain categories of passengers from payment of UDF, including children below two years of age, diplomatic passport holders, airline crew on duty and eligible transit passengers.
The flights which are operated under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN) will continue to receive exemptions in accordance with existing rules and regulations.
AERA said the approved ad hoc tariffs are intended to provide a regulatory framework for airport operations during the period preceding determination of the regular tariff for the first control period.
