India, Nov. 4 -- Airport charges account for only 5-6% of airfares and are linked to the investment needed to expand infrastructure, a senior GMR executive said while defending the rising cost of airport operations.

The development came a day after IndiGo chief executive officer (CEO) Willie Walsh had called for lower airport charges and taxes.

"Airport charges are too high and so this market would do much better if we had lower taxes. So lower taxes, lower airport charges, that is the way forward," Walsh said on Monday, arguing that airports should be more competitive in their pricing as they are effective monopolies.

Offering a contrasting view, SGK Kishore, executive director of GMR Group, said airport charges were not determined ar...