New Delhi: The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has been directed to take a call on private airport operators` demand for a tariff hike by January 31 next year.

The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority Appellate Tribunal directed the AERA to take a decision in this regard. "Time granted to respondent (AERA) to do the needful in this is extended to January 31," said a three-member bench of the tribunal, headed by Justice Arijit Pasayat.

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During the proceedings, senior advocate Atul Nanda, representing the AERA, assured the tribunal that the regulator would take a decision on the issue of fixation of tariffs, as demanded by airport operators, by January 31. The tribunal`s directive came in response to a clutch of petitions filed by private airport operators in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Cochin and Hyderabad, who have requested the regulator to consider their plea for a hike in tariff.

Presently, AERA is seeking the views of all airport users, including airlines, on the multi-year tariff proposals of DIAL and MIAL to hike airport charges by 500-600 per cent.

A hike in airport charges has been overdue since 2001, but it would depend on the Civil Aviation Ministry`s policies, an AERA decision and the views of key stakeholders, including the airlines and passenger associations, whose views were being sought.

PTI