Adani Group-operated Navi Mumbai airport allowed 6% UDF increase

Airports Economic Regulatory Authority has approved a 6% increase in domestic user development fees at Navi Mumbai International Airport from April 2027, providing a partial approval to the proposal submitted by airport operator Adani Group.

According to a report by Mint, the airport operator had initially proposed a 20% increase in passenger charges beginning April 1, 2027.

The revised tariff order means the airport’s current domestic user development fees will remain unchanged until March 31, 2027.

Passenger charges to remain stable initially

Under the order issued by AERA, domestic passengers departing from Navi Mumbai airport between June 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027 will continue paying a user development fee of ₹620, while arriving passengers will pay ₹270.

From April 1, 2027 to March 31, 2030, the approved 6% increase will raise charges to:

• ₹738 for departing domestic passengers
• ₹322 for arriving domestic passengers

The airport operator did not seek any fee increase during the initial operating period between July 2026 and March 2027.

Built at a reported cost of ₹19,650 crore, Navi Mumbai International Airport began operations on December 25, 2025.

Navi Mumbai among India’s costliest airports for passengers

Even before the latest tariff revision, Navi Mumbai airport already ranked among India’s highest-fee major airports for domestic travellers.

According to the Mint report:

• Rajiv Gandhi International Airport charges ₹750 for domestic departures
• Navi Mumbai airport currently charges ₹620
• Kempegowda International Airport charges ₹550
• Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport charges ₹547
• Chennai International Airport charges ₹491

In contrast, older metro airports charge substantially lower fees:

• Indira Gandhi International Airport charges ₹129 for departures and ₹56 for arrivals
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport charges ₹175 and ₹75 respectively

Greenfield airport economics driving higher tariffs

Industry experts and airport operators say newer greenfield airports generally require higher passenger charges during their initial years to support recovery of infrastructure investments and operating costs.

In a statement cited by Mint, Navi Mumbai International Airport said tariff structures at greenfield airports cannot be directly compared with mature brownfield airports that already benefit from significantly higher passenger volumes and long-established infrastructure.

The airport operator argued that higher initial tariffs are necessary to support viable operations and capital recovery during the early years of airport development.

Experts call for longer recovery periods

Some aviation industry observers believe the financing burden on passengers could be reduced through longer recovery timelines.

Gurmukh Singh Bawa, secretary general of the Air Travellers Association, told Mint that comparisons between newly built airports and older metro airports may not fully reflect differing infrastructure economics.

However, he also suggested that the recovery period for airport investments should potentially extend beyond the current five-year framework.

According to Bawa, spreading infrastructure recovery over a longer period such as 10 years could reduce passenger fee pressure and improve competitiveness for newer airports.

Airport tariff scrutiny expected to intensify

The Navi Mumbai tariff decision follows a similar ruling by AERA for Noida International Airport, where annual increases in passenger fees were also approved ahead of commercial operations.

As India accelerates development of greenfield airports to support rising air travel demand, regulators, airport operators and airlines are expected to face growing scrutiny over passenger charges and infrastructure financing models.

The balance between investment recovery and affordability is likely to remain a central issue as new aviation hubs scale operations across the country.