Travellers flying to and from the Philippines could expect higher airport fees in Manila starting next year, a top government official has confirmed.
“Terminal fee will be increased (by 2025),” transport secretary Jaime Bautista told local media reporters at a Press conference on Friday. He clarified, however, that proposed increase in rates — including terminal fees for passengers and takeoff and landing charges for airlines — are still subject to Cabinet approval.
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The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is looking to increase terminal fees for Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) to Php950, Bautista said in a GMA News report.
Passengers currently have to pay a Php550 terminal fee for international trips and Php200 for domestic journeys. Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) — or those who work abroad including the UAE — are exempted from these charges.
Bautista said the fee hikes were necessary as part of efforts to modernise the airport. The last time rates were increased was 24 years ago, he said.
The proposal came soon after the DOTr sealed a Php170.6-billion concession deal with a private company, Naia Infra Corp. The increase would help the corporation earn from their investments in the airport, Bautista said.
Naia Infra Corp committed at least P122.3 billion in capital investments for 25 years, according to GMA News.