Noida International Airport (NIA) will begin commercial operations on June 15, 2026 with higher domestic UDF charges than Delhi (IGIA)
AERA approved ₹490 UDF for departures and ₹210 for arrivals at Noida airport from June 2026
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport charges ₹129 for departures and ₹56 for arrivals, far lower than Noida airport’s planned UDF
Noida International Airport (NIA) is set to begin commercial operations on June 15, 2026. The regulator has cleared passenger charges that place its domestic user development fee (UDF) higher than at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).
The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) has approved a UDF of ₹490 for domestic departures and ₹210 for arrivals for the first tariff cycle from June 15, 2026 to March 31, 2027. These charges will be collected through airline tickets and passed to the airport operator.
In comparison, the capital’s Indira Gandhi International Airport currently levies ₹129 for departures and ₹56 for arrivals, making Noida’s initial pricing nearly four times higher on the departure side.
How Much Noida Airport Will Charge?
Noida International Airport, developed by Zurich Airport International AG, will serve passengers from Jewar in Uttar Pradesh. It is around 55 km from Noida and nearly 100 km from Delhi’s IGIA. The first phase will handle 12 million passengers a year.
Aera has allowed the airport to revise tariffs upward by 5–11% between 1 April next year and March 31, 2031. This means the UDF could rise to ₹693 for departing passengers and ₹297 for arrivals by FY31.
The airport had originally sought higher charges of ₹653 for departures and ₹282 for arrivals, but the regulator approved a lower structure than requested.
Why Charges Are Different?
Officials and consultants suggest that comparing Noida International Airport with a mature hub like Delhi’s IGI Airport may not be straightforward. They highlight that Noida is a greenfield project and must recover higher initial capital costs.
The project has been built at a cost of ₹11,200 crore and represents a new aviation hub in the National Capital Region. Airlines such as IndiGo and Akasa Air are expected to be among the first to begin operations.
Another factor is fuel taxation. Aviation turbine fuel is taxed at just 1% in Noida compared with 25% in Delhi, though experts say this advantage may not fully reflect in ticket pricing.
Competitive Airport Landscape
The broader airport ecosystem also shows variation in charges. The upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport has already started operations with a UDF of ₹620 for departures and ₹270 for arrivals, higher than Mumbai’s older airport.
That older facility, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, charges ₹175 for departures and ₹75 for arrivals, underlining the gap between legacy and new airports.
Experts say airline fares depend on demand, timing and flight slots, even on the same route. As operations begin, pricing may adjust in the coming months.























