Mumbai: With private air carriers listing high airport charges amongst their list of reasons as contributing to the high cost structure in which they are forced to operate, the Association of Private Airports Operators (APAO) has joined the fray with its arguments as to why such a charge will not really hold.

Stating that it is only a misconception that airport charges in India are amongst the highest in the world, APAO points out that Toronto airport had the highest index, while Mumbai airport charges were 16% of Toronto charges. It says even airports in Bangkok, Singapore and Beijing had higher airport charges than Mumbai.

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad

According to APAO, a survey conducted in 2008 by Jacob Consultancy, a global company specializing in airport and aviation consultancy, Mumbai airport was ranked last in a sample of 50 worldwide representative airports. Mumbai and Delhi, which has a similar charge, are amongst the airports with the lowest tariffs in the world.

APAO points out that airport charges in India were increased after eight years only once in Feb 2009, that too by 10% as against the aggregate inflation of 48%, based on average annual cost inflation of 5%.