Navi Mumbai Airport UDF: Flyers to Pay 5x Mumbai Rates

Passengers using the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) will face some of the steepest User Development Fees (UDF) in India. Domestic flyers will pay ₹840 per passenger, nearly five times the fee charged at Mumbai Airport. For international travelers, the UDF is set at ₹1,500, more than double Mumbai’s average of ₹655.

These charges, approved by the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA), place Navi Mumbai among the costliest airports for UDF in India.

Why Are NMIA Charges So High?

Contrary to common belief, airport operators like Adani Airport Holdings (AAHL) don’t decide the UDF. According to AERA, the tariffs are determined using a formula-based structure:

• Newer airports = higher UDF (to recover infrastructure costs)
• Older airports = lower UDF (since development costs have already been recovered)
• Over time, UDF charges are expected to decline

Arun Bansal, CEO of AAHL, emphasized that “Adani has zero authority to decide the UDF,” clarifying that the fee is purely regulated.

How Navi Mumbai Compares to Other Airports

The NMIA UDF places it alongside some of the highest-charging airports in India:

• Kannur Airport: ₹850 (domestic), ₹1,798 (international)
• Thiruvananthapuram: ₹840 (domestic), ₹1,680 (international)
• Chandigarh: ₹725 (domestic), ₹1,550 (international)
• Delhi Airport: ₹129 (domestic), ₹650–₹810 (international)

This means Navi Mumbai flyers will pay more than Delhi, Mumbai, or Bengaluru travelers, making it a significant cost factor for frequent flyers.

Impact on Airlines and Passengers

The Navi Mumbai Airport is expected to launch operations in November 2025, with both domestic and international flights commencing simultaneously. However, the steep UDF poses a pricing challenge for airlines, which will need to absorb or pass on the additional cost to customers.

For passengers, this translates into higher ticket prices and reduced fare competitiveness compared to flights from Mumbai or Pune.

Future Outlook: Will UDF Come Down?

AAHL has committed over ₹57,000 crore towards NMIA’s development, including:

• A second runway
• A second terminal building
• Automated people movers (APM) connecting terminals

Because such large-scale infrastructure projects require upfront funding, the UDF is steep at launch. However, AERA confirms that UDFs are revised periodically and generally decline over time as costs are recovered.

By Financial Year 2026, AERA will review UDFs at other Adani-run airports such as Lucknow, Ahmedabad, and Thiruvananthapuram, which may also see temporary hikes.

Government’s Position on High Airport Charges

Responding to concerns in the Rajya Sabha about Adani-operated airports “charging significantly higher rates,” the Ministry of Civil Aviation clarified that AERA follows a uniform methodology across all major airports, whether private or run by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

This means higher UDFs are not specific to Adani, but are part of a standard regulatory framework tied to infrastructure development cycles.

Key Takeaway

The new Navi Mumbai International Airport promises state-of-the-art facilities and global connectivity, but passengers should brace for one of the costliest UDFs in India at launch, ₹840 for domestic and ₹1,500 for international departures. While these rates may decline in the future, in the short term, flying out of Navi Mumbai will be significantly more expensive than flying out of Mumbai Airport.