NAIA to charge passengers P200 more

International air travelers will have to pay P200 or $3.50 more in airport fees beginning January, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Alfonso Cusi said yesterday.

Cusi said the additional collection will represent "security and development" charge. The new fees will be in addition to the current P550 "passenger service charge" or terminal fee. This means departing international passengers will have to pay a total of P750 each in "airport user’s fee."

Cusi said they will still have to discuss when to exactly begin collecting the "security fee." He stressed it will definitely be after Jan. 1.

"We’re still choosing a date when to start collecting the fee. So far, we don’t have a date yet," Cusi told The STAR.

He pointed out that MIAA had satisfied all the administrative and procedural requirements needed to start the collection of additional fees.

He said the decision had been subjected to public hearings and that it was in coordination with the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) and even with the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).

Cusi also revealed that MIAA is now coordinating with airlines to add the airport users’ fees to ticket charges so that departing passengers will not have to make the separate payment at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

In the public hearings, MIAA said funds from the new fees will be used to purchase security gadgets and equipment for NAIA Terminals 1 and 2 and for the Domestic Airport.

MIAA had originally planned to impose an additional US$5 security fee but this was branded as excessive by international airlines during the public hearings.