Wait, what?
The management of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) announced today that it will increase the airport’s terminal fees for both international and domestic flights next year. NAIA’s general manager said it was necessary to maintain the facilities of the airport, which was once regarded as the worst in the world.
Starting April 2019, passengers of international flights will have to pay PHP750 (US$14.01), a PHP200 (US$3.74) increase, reported Rappler. On the other hand, domestic travelers have to pay PHP300 (US$5.60), a PHP100 (US$1.87) increase.
Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Ed Monreal justified the increase by saying that the NAIA’s improvements need to be sustained.
He was quoted by GMA News as saying in Filipino: “Because we are no longer at the worst airport list and we need to sustain that.”
The MIAA also said that they might experience a deficit if the increase will not push through, reported ABS-CBN News.
So if NAIA remained one of the worst in the world, the terminal fees will remain the same?
A travel website called Sleeping in Airports declared NAIA as one of the worst in the world for several years but by 2017, enough improvements have made it good enough to exit the notorious list.
In fact, British consulting firm Skytrax chose NAIA in 2018 as the 10th best-improved airport in the world.
Monreal also said that compared to other countries, the NAIA’s terminal fees are still lower.
Based on the data given by the MIAA, the airports in Singapore and Thailand charge terminal fees amounting to PHP1,867 (US$34.89) and PHP1,174 (US$21.94) respectively.
However, Singapore’s Changi Airport, called the best in the world by Skytrax, has far superior facilities than NAIA, which might explain its expensive terminal fee.
But the good news is that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will remain exempt from paying the terminal fees.
Yipee.
NAIA was named after the late Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., who was assassinated at the airport’s in 1983 when it was still known as the Manila International Airport. It’s located in Pasay City and has three terminals.
