Flying From Bengaluru? Airport Fee Slashed—Here’s How It Affects Your Ticket

The UDF is collected through airline ticket, so the revised amount should appear in the fare breakdown. Tickets issued on or after September 1, 2026, will carry the new charges.

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Bengaluru airport fees change from Sep 1, 2026.

Departing passengers pay less UDF.

Arriving passengers will now pay a UDF.

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The UDF is an airport charge collected from passengers to help fund infrastructure development and maintenance. (File image)

Flying out of Bengaluru will become cheaper from September 1, 2026, as the User Development Fee (UDF) charged to departing passengers is set to fall sharply. However, travellers arriving in the city will begin paying a UDF for the first time.

The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) has fixed the new charges for Kempegowda International Airport for the five-year control period ending March 31, 2031.

How Much Will Departing Passengers Save?

Domestic passengers departing from Bengaluru will pay a UDF of Rs 300, down from the existing Rs 550. This means a saving of Rs 250 per passenger, or around 45%.

International passengers flying out of the city will pay Rs 997 instead of Rs 1500—a reduction of Rs 503, or approximately 34%.

The new departing charges are also lower than those proposed by airport operator Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which had sought Rs 450 for domestic passengers and Rs 1,215 for international travellers.

Arriving Passengers Will Now Pay A Fee

While departing passengers will receive significant relief, AERA has introduced a UDF for passengers arriving at Bengaluru airport.

From September 1, domestic arrivals will attract a fee of Rs 125 per passenger, while international arrivals will be charged Rs 426. No UDF is currently levied on arriving passengers.

What Does It Mean For A Return Journey?

For a domestic return journey that begins and ends in Bengaluru, the total Bengaluru airport UDF will be Rs 425—Rs 300 while departing and Rs 125 upon returning.

Compared with the current departure-only charge of Rs 550, this represents a net reduction of Rs 125.

For a similar international return journey, the combined UDF will be Rs 1,423—Rs 997 on departure and Rs 426 on arrival. That is only Rs 77 lower than the current Rs 1500 departure fee.

These comparisons apply only to Bengaluru airport’s UDF and exclude applicable taxes and charges levied by other airports.

Will Your Air Ticket Become Cheaper?

The UDF is collected through the airline ticket, so the revised amount should appear in the fare breakdown. Tickets issued on or after September 1, 2026, will carry the new charges.

However, the overall price of a ticket may not fall by the exact amount of the UDF reduction. Airfares constantly change based on demand, availability, route, travel date and airline pricing. The tariffs fixed by AERA are also ceiling rates and exclude applicable taxes.

Passengers should therefore check the fare breakdown before completing their booking instead of relying only on the total ticket price.

What Is the User Development Fee?

The UDF is an airport charge collected from passengers to help fund infrastructure development and maintenance. Although airlines collect it as part of the ticket price, the fee is determined by the airport regulator and passed on to the airport operator.

Domestic travellers account for approximately 84% of Bengaluru airport’s passenger traffic. AERA said keeping the departing domestic UDF at Rs 300 would make air travel more affordable and support the expansion of domestic aviation.

Passengers Will Pay For Major Projects Only After Completion

AERA has also introduced an incremental Average Revenue Requirement framework at Bengaluru airport for the first time.

Under this system, the cost of selected major infrastructure projects will be recovered through airport tariffs only after the facilities are completed, commissioned and made available for use.

The projects covered include the Eastern Cargo Terminal, Phase 2 of Terminal 2 and the Phase 2 apron at T2. Additional tariff recovery for these projects is expected to begin in 2029–30.

The mechanism is intended to prevent passengers and airlines from paying in advance for facilities that are not yet operational. It may also encourage projects to be completed on time and reduce the risk of excess recovery if proposed work is delayed or abandoned.

AERA has additionally fixed landing charges at Rs 442 per metric tonne for domestic flights and Rs 652 per metric tonne for international flights during the control period. These charges are paid by airlines rather than passengers directly.

Key Questions Answered

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No, only tickets for departing passengers from Bengaluru will become cheaper from September 1, 2026, due to a reduction in the User Development Fee (UDF). However, passengers arriving in Bengaluru will begin paying a UDF for the first time.

Frequent flyers from Bengaluru making a round trip will pay a reduced User Development Fee (UDF) of Rs 425, down from Rs 550, starting from September 1, 2026. This is because the UDF for departing domestic passengers has been cut by 45.5% to Rs 300, while a new charge of Rs 125 has been introduced for arriving domestic passengers. For international passengers, the departure UDF has been reduced to Rs 997, and a new arrival charge of Rs 426 has been introduced.

The new fee model at Bengaluru airport, which splits the User Development Fee between arriving and departing passengers, is in line with the approach adopted at other major and newly launched airports in India.

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