Starting next year, travelers heading to and from the Philippines might face increased airport fees in Manila, as confirmed by a high-ranking government official.
Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista disclosed to local media at a Friday press conference that the terminal fee is set to rise by 2025. He noted, though, that the planned rate hikes, which encompass terminal fees for passengers and takeoff and landing charges for airlines, still require Cabinet approval. Bautista mentioned in a GMA News report that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) aims to raise the terminal fees at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) to Php950.
Presently, passengers are charged a Php550 terminal fee for international flights and Php200 for domestic ones. Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), including those in the UAE, are exempt from these fees. Bautista emphasized that the fee increases are crucial for the airport's modernization, as the last rate adjustment occurred 24 years ago.
This proposal follows the DOTr's recent sealing of a Php170.6-billion concession agreement with Naia Infra Corp, a private company. Bautista explained that the fee hike would enable the corporation to recoup its investments in the airport. According to GMA News, Naia Infra Corp has pledged at least P122.3 billion in capital investments over 25 years.
