Coronavirus: Private airports want to levy extra charge with airline fares

March 13, 2020: Association of Private Airport Operators (APAO) urged government to allow levy a passenger facilitation charge as part of airline fares to cover increased operating expenses being incurred by the operators due to coronavirus outbreak.

In a letter written to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the representation noted that the airport operators are now in a situation of severe financial crisis and need relief/support to sustain airport operations.

Meanwhile, International Air Transport Association (IATA) tweeted “India's private airports need to do a reality check on their suggestion to impose a new levy at a time when passenger demand is plummeting on account of the COVID19 outbreak.”

#India's private airports need to do a reality check on their suggestion to impose a new levy at a time when passenger demand is plummeting on account of the #COVID19 outbreak. pic.twitter.com/4dF7DRGuZv

— IATA (@IATA) March 13, 2020

“To address the growing severity of this issue and ensure the sustainability of operations for airport operators, we propose,” reads the APAO letter.

1. Defining a close cooperation mechanism between airport operators and policy stakeholders to identify various options to tackle the crisis.
2. Allowing levying of a nominal passenger facilitation charge as part of airline fares to cover increased operating expenses being incurred by the operators.
3. Provisioning of an airport operator alleviation package by AERA to facilitate the growing operational expenses, released in the next control period of applicable airport operators.