Air Tickets Get a Minor Hike

The Civil Aviation Ministry has decided to raise the amount of aviation security fee (ASF) charged from domestic and international flyers. Starting September 1, domestic flyers will have to pay Rs 10 more (increasing the total ASF to Rs160) while international passengers will have to pay $5.2 instead of the current total of $4.85. 

However, this fee could vary for different airlines depending on their guidelines and the strength of their fleet. For instance, the fee on an Indigo airline ticket will now be Rs 189 instead of the current Rs 177.

The airlines collect the ASF from passengers while booking their tickets and these are later handed to the government. The ASF is used to fund security services and arrangements at airports across the country. The last such hike was in 2019 when the ministry decided to charge the passengers Rs 20 more, bringing the total to Rs 150 from Rs130 while international flyers were made to pay $4.85 instead of $3.25.

ASF or passenger security fees have been increased due to the rise in the cost of security at airports and the need for enhanced security deployment. India resumed domestic passenger flights on May 25 after a two-month-long shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the average occupancy rate in flights since then has been around 50-60%.