UAE | General
Airports to increase service charges
Abu Dhabi Passengers departing from Dubai International Airport will pay higher service charge from May 1.
- By Nadia Saleem and Dina El Shammaa, Staff Reporters
- Published: 00:21 March 26, 2009
- Dh75 New passenger service charge
- Dh30 Old service charge
- Dh1.4b Potential annual service charge collection for DIA
Dubai: Abu Dhabi Passengers flying out of Dubai International Airport will have to pay higher service charges from May 1.
Dubai Airports intends to increase the charge to Dh75 from Dh30. This will apply only to tickets issued on or after April 1 and travel on or after May 1.
The increase is official for Dubai, but other airports are expected to follow suit soon, industry sources have said.
A source at Sharjah International Airport told Gulf News that the airport hase increased its charges, and the change applies across the UAE. However, they have issued no official statement.
"The purpose of introducing a new passenger service charge is to reflect the significant investment in the airport infrastructure and to bring our passenger service charge in line with international levels," Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports, said in a statement to airlines.
The increase will not apply to transit or transfer passengers, nor will it affect children below the age of two not occupying a seat. Airline crews are also exempt.
DIA handled 37.44 million passengers in 2008, up 9 per cent from 2007. Assuming half of this was outbound traffic and 2009 sees the same passenger numbers, the airport could make Dh1.4 billion only in the revised charges this year.
Mohammad Al Sawi, general manager of Omeir Travel Agency, told Gulf News that his agency received an email on March 14 saying that the passenger service charge would be increased.
"This only applies to the Dubai Airport for now. However, Abu Dhabi is still deciding whether they should be part of that hike. The federal civil aviation should decide whether they would like to apply the same increase," he said.
The hike is so far minimal in comparison to other international airports, he added. "Heathrow International Airport for instance charges Dh330. So if we compare Dubai International Airport to other international airports we will find the decision reasonable," said Al Sawi.
Your comments
I don't know what will be reached from this. It's really bad.
Medo
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 26, 2009, 09:50
When you say "Abu Dhabi passengers", does this mean people living and working with a company in the emirate of Abu Dhabi or just buying tickets from a ticketing agency in Abu Dhabi and departing from Dubai International Airport?
iqbal
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: March 26, 2009, 07:43
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