Government has imposed a service tax on all domestic and international air travellers, Civil Aviation Minster Praful Patel informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

The rates of service tax on domestic air travel have been fixed at the rate of 10 per cent of the gross value of the ticket or Rs 100 per trip, whichever is lower, Patel said.

For those international passengers travelling in economy class and embarking in India it would be charged at the rate of 10 per cent of the gross value of the ticket or Rs 500 per trip, whichever is lower.

However, those travelling to or from the airports situated in Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Bagdogra in West Bengal have been exempted.

Service tax was being levied on international passengers travelling in higher class (business or first class) since June 2006.

Patel said that the services at the airports which have been kept free from service tax include water supply, electricity supply, treatment of persons by a dispensary, hospital, nursing home or multi-speciality clinic (except cosmetic or plastic surgery service).

Also, services provided by a school or centre to provide formal education other then those services provided by commercial coaching or training centre, services provided by fire service agencies and pollution control services are tax-free.

The tax would be levied on the commercial and industrial construction services related to airport and on certain services like renting of a cab, erection, commissioning and installation services, goods transport agency service and certain construction services.

Apart from it, warehousing of agriculture products and cold storage facilities under storage and warehousing service, transport of export goods in an aircraft by an aircraft operator and site information and clearance, excavation and demolition services in the course of construction of airport will be under the tax regime.