The New Fee for Departing Flyers
The most significant change is the reduction in the User Development Fee (UDF) for passengers flying out of Bengaluru. Effective September 1, 2026, the UDF for departing domestic passengers will be cut from ₹550 to ₹300. This marks a sharp 45% reduction,
a welcome development for the roughly 84% of the airport's passengers who travel domestically. International travellers will also see substantial savings. The UDF for those departing on international flights will fall from ₹1,500 to ₹997, a drop of about 33.5%. These revised fees are part of a new five-year tariff plan approved by the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA).
Breaking Down Your Savings
So, how much will you actually save? It's a straightforward calculation. Every domestic passenger flying out of Bengaluru will save ₹250 on their ticket cost. For a family of four travelling to another Indian city, that’s a combined saving of ₹1,000. For international flyers, the saving per person is even more significant at ₹503. This fee is typically included in the final price of your airline ticket, so the reduction should translate directly to lower overall fares for flights originating from the city. While it doesn't guarantee cheaper tickets overall, as fares depend on many factors like fuel costs and airline pricing, it removes a significant chunk of fixed airport charges.
A New Charge for Arriving Passengers
The new tariff structure isn't just about cuts; it also introduces a new fee. For the first time at Bengaluru airport, arriving passengers will also be charged a UDF. Starting September 1, 2026, domestic passengers landing at the airport will pay ₹125, while international arrivals will be charged ₹426. According to AERA, this move is designed to distribute the costs of airport usage more evenly between arriving and departing passengers, a model already in place at other major Indian airports. Even with this new arrival fee, the total cost for a round trip is lower. For a domestic traveller, the combined departure and arrival UDF is now ₹425 (₹300 + ₹125), which is still less than the previous one-way departure fee of ₹550.
Why Were the Fees Reduced?
The reduction is part of a new regulatory philosophy being implemented by AERA. Previously, airports could charge passengers upfront for the cost of large-scale future infrastructure projects. The new framework, called the incremental Aggregate Revenue Requirement, links the recovery of these costs to the actual completion and commissioning of the projects. This means passengers will only pay for facilities that are actively in use, preventing them from funding long-term construction projects years in advance. This new model was applied following scrutiny over rising airport charges and ensures that fees remain affordable while still allowing for airport development.
What to Expect in the Future
The current fee structure is set to remain in place until at least August 2029. After that, the charges may be modified as major expansion projects, such as Phase 2 of Terminal 2, are completed and become operational. The regulatory framework allows for small, incremental tariffs to be added once these new facilities are available to the public. However, AERA has also scheduled a further reduction in the base UDF from May 2030, with domestic departure fees set to fall to ₹160 and international to ₹854, before accounting for any project-related additions. This forward-looking approach aims to balance affordability with the need for world-class infrastructure, ensuring that costs don't spike unexpectedly for travellers.
