Local, foreign carriers to receive 3.5% service charge from terminal fees

MANILA, Philippines - Some 33 foreign airlines and three local carriers will receive 3.5 percent service charge from the P550 terminal fee to be paid by departing passengers starting July 31.

Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Jose Angel Honrado said they would give back 3.5 percent to the airline firms for collecting the terminal fee under the new system.

“Airlines would be getting as much as P150 million every year for the terminal fee integration,” he said.

Honrado said he had talked with the air carriers plying international routes for the integration of the P550 terminal fee in the purchase of a plane ticket.

“The integration will be implemented simultaneously by all carriers and shall also cover passengers transiting Manila to any point of destination,” Honrado said.

The integration scheme will recognize and honor all exemptions mandated by law, such as Filipinos working overseas, Muslim pilgrims and national athletes endorsed by the Philippine Sports Commission, as well as children aged two years and below.

Honrado said he would place refund counters at the departure and arrival areas of NAIA terminals.

Some airlines signified their intention to join the signing of the memorandum of agreement with the MIAA for the integration of the terminal fee.

However, some members of the Board of Airlines Representatives (BAR) still have concerns about the scheme and called on MIAA to defer the July 17 deadline until the group has made a decision.

Out of the 23 airlines that signified their intention to support the terminal fee integration, 17 backed out, noting that the BAR has yet to reach a decision on the proposal.

Honrado warned it would be difficult for airlines if they refuse to join the integration scheme.

“I will exercise my prerogative if they do not want to join the integration,” Honrado said.

An airline official lamented that MIAA is forcing the issue.

The official said many airline firms operating at the NAIA are unhappy with the integration.

“What we are against are those exemptions. Those exempted have to line up to claim a refund and this will create delays among airlines,” the official said.

Honrado should not threaten the airlines because “we are their partners in business,” the official added.

Meanwhile, Honrado announced that the project for the installation of closed-circuit television cameras for Terminals 1, 2 and 4, with an estimated value of P480 million, is now open for bidding.

The NAIA Terminal 1, which is under the Department of Transportation and Communications, has been undergoing rehabilitation since Jan. 23, with the project expected to be finished by January next year.

Critics say that after six months, little improvement has been seen at the terminal.

Among the few visible changes is the upgrading of parapet walls and eaves, which sources said cost the MIAA some P100 million.