AIR PASSENGERS TO PAY HIGHER SECURITY FEE

New Delhi, Aug. 20: The civil aviation ministry has decided to charge higher aviation security fee (ASF) from domestic as well as international passengers from September 1, senior officials said on Thursday.

Passengers will have to pay `10 extra for their air travel from September 1 as the Ministry of Civil Aviation has decided to revise the rates of aviation security fee (ASF) for domestic and international passengers.

According to officials, the ASF for domestic flyers will be increased by

`10 to be `160 from present `150 while the international passengers will have to pay $5.2 instead of current $4.85.

Airlines collect the ASF from passengers when they book their tickets and then give it to the government.

The aviation security fee is used to fund the security arrangement at airports across the country.

The aviation security fee was hiked last year from July 1 to be

`150 instead of `130 and international passengers were charged

$4.85 instead of $3.25. Airlines collect the ASF from passengers when they book their tickets and then give it to the government. The ASF is used to fund the security arrangement at airports across the country.

The aviation sector has been significantly impacted due to the travel restrictions imposed in India and other countries in view of the Coronavirus pandemic.

All airlines in India have taken cost-cutting measures such as pay cuts, leave-without-pay and firings of employees in order to conserve cash. After a gap of two months due to the Coronavirus-triggered lockdown, India resumed domestic passenger flights on May 25. However, the average occupancy rate in Indian domestic flights has been around just 50-60 per cent since May

25. Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, special international flights have been operating with the approval of aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).