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Mumbai airport on Friday become the fourth airport in the country to be allowed to levy a advance fee from passengers to bridge the deficit in funds for moderation the facility.

The government approved collection of Rs 100 from outbound domestic passengers and Rs 600 from worldwide passengers from April 1. The fee would be in force for four years, but be reviewed after six months.

The Mumbai airport modernization project cost is pegged at Rs 9,802 crore and the Mumbai International Airport Ltd has been allowed to raise up to Rs 1,543 crore through the development fee. However, if the project cost escalates beyond Rs 9,802 crore, MIAL would have to tap other fund sources.

New airports in Hyderabad and Bangalore have been charging a development and DIAL, which manages the New Delhi airport, too was allowed to charge the development fee, although the move has come in for criticism from global airlines' body IATA.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel had yester on Thursday said such fees could be imposed even at airports being modernised by the state-owned Airports Authority of India. The massive aviation infrastructure required in India "cannot be made on such a scale without the contribution from passengers and other stakeholders, " he had said. - PTI