Airlines seek additional $1 passenger service fee

A total of 31 international airlines have asked the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to grant them authority to impose an additional $1 on all passengers of departing international flights as "passenger services and regulatory fee."

The new charge would be an added fee to the varied charges imposed on passengers of outbound international flights. These include the P500 terminal fee, varying fuel surcharges collected by international airlines ranging from as low as $5 (P250) to as much $60 (P3,000), insurance charges, and government taxes including the 10 percent expanded value added taxes imposed on airfare.

While the airlines did not specify the reason for the additional charge, airline sources said the proposed fee was meant to fund security and passenger services improvement measures that would be undertaken by the airlines.

Among the airlines that asked for the additional fee were Alitalia, Cathay Pacific Airways, Cebu Pacific Airways, China Airlines, Asiana Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Continental Micronesia, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Eva Air, Federal Express Corp., Gulf Air, Japan Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, Kuwait Airways, Lufthansa German Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Quantas, Qatar Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines, Scandinavian Airline System, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Airlines (Swissair), Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), Thai International Airways, and Vietnam Airlines.

It will be recalled that the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has a pending petition with CAB, asking for authority to impose $5 on all outbound international flights as "security and development fee."

The Airline Operators Council earlier opposed MIAA’s move to impose the said fee, saying that it was an unnecessary additional burden to passengers and that security and safety was a concern that should be shouldered by the government.