A fair runway

Flyers can't be subjected to sudden, sharp fee hike due to prolonged legal disputes between airports and airlines

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THE SUPREME COURT'S Wednesday hearing on the controversy over steep hikes in user development fees (UDF) at India's major airports comes at a moment when the country's aviation story is being rewritten as one of growth, inclusion, and mass access. The question no longer is whether a fee is excessive; the real issue is a much larger one: who should pay for India's infrastructure, and on what terms? At the heart of the matter lies a basic imbalance. UDFS are levied on a captive market-airline passengers who have no choice but to pay if they wish to travel.

Unlike toll roads or utilities where alternatives may exist, the airport passenger has no substitute provider. This makes any sudden, sharp increase in charges inherently coercive, even if legally valid. The Supreme Court should recognise this unequal bargaining position and treat UDFs for what they truly are: a quasi-tax on mobility.