The review of the airport development fee (ADF) at the Delhi airport has been held up as the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) has delayed submission of the project cost, as requested by the airport watchdog Airport Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Aera).

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Yashwant Bhave, chairman of Aera, said his organisation had not yet received the project cost by DIAL.

“We are waiting for DIAL to submit its project cost to us so that we can review the ADF. We will ensure transparency in the process of fixing the airport charges and taxes,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Indian Aviation 2010, a five-day event organised by the civil aviation ministry and Ficci in Hyderabad.

Bhave said the ADF would depend on the costing and financing of the airport operators.

DIAL was to submit its project cost to Aera in January. However, it is now reportedly looking at seeking an extension as its internal auditors need some more time to calculate the project cost. The airport operator is now expected to give its costs by March-April. Bhave said Aera would not be looking at the landing and parking fees as none of the operators had written to them.

Aera has undertaken the review of DIAL project cost after te airport operator said last year that its costs for the first phase of the airport would escalate from the expected Rs 10,500 crore. Any jump in DIAL’s expenditure will directly impact the ADF levied on the passenger. Currently, international travellers flying out from Delhi airport pay an ADF of Rs 1,300 per ticket, while domestic fliers shell out Rs 200 per ticket.

The Mumbai airport’s ADF charges are Rs 100 for domestic travellers and Rs 600 for overseas travels.

The airports were the granted permission to levy the tax in February last year for a limited period. The government also prescribed the manner in which the funds could be utilised.