Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of Bombay high court directed Airports Authority of India (AAI) to consider and decide a representation challenging the parking fee mechanism at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport. The observation came after a petitioner alleged that motorists were being charged for delays caused by congestion at the airport’s operator-controlled exit queue.A division bench comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Raj Wakode disposed of a writ petition filed by Prateek Kubade, who questioned the airport’s parking charge mechanism, contending that the time spent waiting in the exit queue should not be included in the chargeable parking duration.According to the petition filed through counsel SR Kadam, motorists are being charged Rs141 not because of any delay on their part but due to the time spent in the queue managed by the airport operator. The petitioner challenged the five-minute parking charge mechanism on the ground that commuters are penalised for circumstances beyond their control.The court noted that before approaching it, the petitioner had issued a legal notice to the competent authority on May 25, 2026, raising the grievance. As no response was received, he sent a reminder on June 20, 2026, but the authorities neither acted on nor replied to the notices.Without expressing any opinion on the merits of the grievance, the bench directed AAI to treat the legal notice as the petitioner’s representation and consider it in accordance with law.The court ordered AAI to decide the representation within eight weeks from the date of receipt of its order. It further directed that the decision be communicated to the petitioner within two weeks of its being taken. The writ petition was disposed of without any order as to costs.INFOTAKE DECISION IN 8 WEEKS: HCHC disposed of a petition challenging parking charges at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International AirportPetitioner alleged motorists are charged Rs141 because of delays in the operator-controlled exit queueChallenge relates to inclusion of exit queue waiting time in chargeable parking durationAAI directed to treat the petitioner’s legal notice as a formal representation & decide in 8 weeksDecision must be communicated to the petitioner within two weeks thereafterPetitioner earlier served a legal notice on May 25, 2026, followed by a reminder on June 20, 2026
