Integration of terminal fees with air tickets suspended
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia). INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) on Friday said it will suspend the implementation of its plan to integrate the terminal fee to the price of airline tickets following a temporary restraining order issued by the court.
“In view of the temporary restraining order issued by the Court on the integration of the international passenger service charge (IPSC, better known as terminal fee), the Manila International Airport Authority is hereby suspending its implementation,” the authority running all four terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) said in a statement.
The MIAA has been pushing for the “integration scheme” to avoid the long queues of international passengers lining up in the airports to pay the terminal fee.
It has scheduled to begin the plan on Oct. 1 but due to opposition coming mainly from groups of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), it has decided to delay its implementation by a month.
OFW groups claim that the new scheme would be an additional burden for OFWs who have to fall in line in processing their refund since RA 10022 or the amended Migrant Workers and Overseas Act of 1995 exempts them from paying the terminal fee.
Under this law, apart from the terminal fee, OFWs are also exempted from paying travel tax and documentary stamp upon presentation of their overseas employment certificate (OEC) issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.
In a statement, MIAA General Manager Jose Angel Honrado assured OFWs that they do not have to line up for a refund as exemptions will be honored at the point of sale provided the OFW as well as others who are exempted can show proof of entitlement or exemption.
But this will not apply for tickets bought abroad or online as there is no way to verify the proof of entitlement.
Hondrado said that in 2013, a total of 7,671,643 passengers departed from Naia. Out of this number, only 1,975,695 were OFWs who lined up at the terminal fee counters and presented their OECs to avail of the exemption.
“Once the integration is in place, only 10 percent or 197,569 OFW passengers will buy their tickets online or abroad and will have to line up for refund,” Honrado said, citing previous records.
Honrado also clarified that the refund process has no expiration period.
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