No hike in airport charges for now

Air passengers seem to have been spared of a hike in airport charges at the city airport. The Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has refrained from taking a decision on the issue.

Although officials in AERA refused to go on record, sources within it reveal that the decision has been postponed due to the election schedule.

The cost of redeveloping the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) has been spiraling. The original cost for redevelopment was pegged at RsRs12,500 crore. Terminal 2, which was opened recently for public, alone had cost over Rs5,500 crore to be built.

MIAL, the operator of CSIA, has approached AERA seeking to review the aeronautical and other charges.