The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has proposed a bigger role for non-aeronautical revenue in airport tariff calculations, a step aimed at bringing down the charges ultimately borne by passengers. The idea is to use more income from sources such as retail, parking and other commercial activities to offset airport fees.
According to the proposal, AERA wants to revisit the existing NCAP 2016 tariff framework. A higher share of non-aeronautical revenue in the pricing model could reduce the level of airport charges and user development-related costs that are passed on to travelers.
The move signals a broader review of how airports balance aeronautical earnings with commercial income. If adopted, the approach could reshape tariff setting by placing greater weight on revenue streams outside core flight operations.
The proposal is significant for airlines, airport operators and passengers because airport charges influence overall travel costs. A revised framework that leans more on non-aeronautical revenue could ease the burden on users while changing how airports recover their expenses.
