The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has finalised the initial aeronautical tariff structure for the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), establishing a comprehensive fee structure for the new greenfield terminal. According to reports from The Economic Times, the regulatory authority has approved specific user development fees for passengers flying from the airport, marking a significant milestone for the region's aviation sector. The decision represents a comprehensive analysis, prudence check and due diligence of capital expenditure, operating expenses, non-aero revenues and rate of return assumptions, as confirmed by AERA.
Under the newly approved rate card, domestic departing travelers will be charged ₹620 while international passengers will pay ₹1,225 for departure fees. As reported by The Economic Times, these fees represent a significant reduction from the ₹742 sought by Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd (NMIAL) and ₹1,467 proposed by the airport operator. The pricing framework establishes a clear distinction between domestic and international travel segments, with domestic passengers accounting for around 73% of projected traffic at the new airport.
The mandate also introduces user development fees for incoming passengers, with ₹270 charged for domestic arrivals and ₹525 for international travellers. According to The Economic Times reports, these arrival fees will be levied on passengers entering the airport through the greenfield terminal, creating a comprehensive fee structure that covers both departure and arrival segments of air travel. The revised operational timeline has led to recalibrated passenger traffic projections for the first control period.
AERA has significantly reduced the airport's aggregate revenue requirement (ARR) to ₹14,087 crore from the ₹28,290 crore proposed under NMIAL's multi-year tariff proposal. As reported by The Economic Times, the regulator deferred 11.32% of the approved revenue recovery to the next tariff cycle between 2030 and 2035, stating this move was aimed at moderating airport charges for passengers and airlines. The revised operational timeline has also impacted traffic projections, with domestic traffic for FY 2025-26 moderated for a truncated operational period of three months instead of the ten months considered earlier.
The revised fee structure positions Navi Mumbai airport's UDF charges among India's highest, though still lower than early privatized hubs like Delhi's GMR-run Indira Gandhi International Airport (₹129 domestic, ₹56 international) and Mumbai's Adani-run Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (₹175 domestic, ₹75 international). AERA has also revised assumptions linked to the airport's proposed Phase III expansion, pushing construction timeline to FY28 with likely completion to FY31, while directing NMIAL to undertake optimal asset utilisation measures to maximise existing terminal capacity utilisation.
