Delhi Government Justifies Levying Airport Development Fee

[jayanthi mandhalapu]

According to the Delhi government, it is not doing any injustice by collecting airport development fee from those who depart from Indira Gandhi International airport. It added that the collection of this not violating any law.

Solicitor General Gopal Subrahmaniam said that "development of airports is a private initiative and therefore charging fees is not wrong and well within the law". He submitted the government's reply to a division bench of Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah and Justice Manmohan.

"The airport is to develop the area surrounding it and the existing Airport Authority Act allows various airports to charge the ADF," he added.

Harish Salve who had made his appearance on behalf of Mumbai International Airport Limited added: "If passengers are using the facilities at the airport which is developed by the airport then why fees can't be levied on the passengers?

"When we can charge the airline companies for using landing, housing and parking facilities then why can't we charge the passengers for using the other services at the airport," Salve added. He also added that Airport Act has the provision for levying these fees from the passengers.