AMRITSAR: A visitor has alleged overcharging at the parking facility of Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar, prompting airport authorities to apologise and assure a refund, though questions over accountability remain.
According to the complaint submitted to the Airport Director, Satwinder Jit Singh, who arrived at the airport around 1:30 PM on January 1, 2026, was charged Rs.110 for parking his Swift Dzire, despite staying for approximately one hour and forty minutes. As per the officially displayed tariff, the first 30 minutes are charged at Rs.20, while the 31–120-minute slab is Rs.55. The complainant stated that the parking staff claimed the charges had been revised from January 1, 2026, even though no such change was displayed on the rate board.
Singh further alleged that the entry receipt was taken back by parking staff, and only a final receipt—without entry time or vehicle number details—was handed over at exit, limiting transparency and the passenger’s ability to verify the charge.
Following the complaint, airport authorities contacted the passenger, apologised for the incident, and assured that the excess amount would be refunded, while stating that action would be taken.
Reacting to the development, Sameep Singh Gumtala, Global Convener of the FlyAmritsar Initiative and Amritsar Vikas Manch Overseas Secretary, said the response was welcome but stressed that the issue was not an isolated case.
“We have been approached repeatedly over the past many years by visitors with complaints of parking overcharging at Amritsar Airport, including Satwinder Jit Singh in this instance. Despite continuous awareness efforts to inform passengers about approved parking charges, such overcharging continues. We receive many messages every week from visitors who say they have been overcharged, but only a few take the initiative to formally file a complaint – Satwinder being one such case. Even when passengers are aware of the correct tariff and raise it on the spot, the staff often talks rudely and do not acknowledge it, ” Gumtala said.
He further pointed out that with thousands of vehicles entering the airport every day, even an excess charge of Rs.10 to Rs.50 per vehicle can add up to thousands of rupees daily and potentially lakhs of rupees over a month, raising serious concerns about systemic overcharging.
Gumtala added that despite repeated complaints and media reports, the same contractor continues to operate, with no written clarity on penalties or corrective action. Issues such as FASTag systems being deliberately switched off at times, and mismanagement of the pick-up and drop-off area—where unauthorised taxis remain parked and passengers are penalized during congestion, continue to harm passenger confidence and the airport’s image. Such incidents have repeatedly gone viral on social media, damaging the airport’s image and discouraging passengers, some of whom opt to travel via Delhi or Chandigarh Airport instead, affecting Amritsar’s connectivity.
Gumtala said the FlyAmritsar Initiative has repeatedly highlighted the issue publicly through media and social media platforms, urging the Chairman of the Airports Authority of India, Sh. Vipin Kumar IAS, to step in and ensure transparent, passenger-friendly parking operations with clear accountability.