By Ma. Cristina Arayata (PNA)
MANILA — Although it is surely coming, there is no concrete date yet as to when the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminal fee would increase, an executive told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Friday.
“We target to have this by the second quarter of 2019, but no assurance if this would materialize by that time, since it has to undergo some processes,” Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) Media Affairs Division head, Jess Martinez, said.
The increase, however, is certain, Martinez stressed.
“MIAA needs the money to continue the improvements in NAIA and the services,” he said.
The current PHP550 terminal fee for international flights would be raised to PHP750, while the PHP200 terminal fee for domestic flights would be PHP300.
“The (hike) was already approved during the public hearing. But it would still need to go through the Board, get published. It has to go through a process,” Martinez said.
He added the fee hike would push through next year, unless there would be another hearing or other developments.
MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal earlier said the terminal fee hike would contribute at least 1 percent to NAIA’s gross revenues. MIAA is expecting a deficit in NAIA’s revenues in the next five years if terminal fees would not increase.
Martinez said NAIA ranked 10th among the world’s most improved airports, based on the 2018 World Airport Awards conducted by Skytrax, an international air transport rating organization.
The World Airport Awards are voted for by air travelers in the largest, annual global airport customer satisfaction survey.
For the 2018 Awards, the survey was conducted from August 2017 to February 2018.
