Terminal fees for int’l flights set to be included in airplane ticket price

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – There may be fewer lines at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) once the terminal fees become included in the price of airline tickets by October 2014, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) announced Wednesday.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) is set to sign a memorandum of agreement with air carriers to have the international passenger service charge (IPSC), more commonly known as terminal fee, included in the purchase of the ticket.

“It improves traveling convenience and efficiency at Naia by removing a whole process which unnecessarily adds to the passengers’ processing time, requiring them to line up when payment can be done ahead of time,” DOTC Secretary Jun Abaya said in the statement.

DOTC said that the new policy will free up space in the terminals because the terminal fee counters will be removed. It will also put the Philippines at par with neighboring countries in Southeast Asia since Philippines is the last remaining country which collects terminal fees in the airport premises.

The integration program will begin in October 2014, with a one-year transition period ending in September 2015. Full implementation of the policy will be in October 2015.

A terminal fee of P550 is collected per departing passenger. DOTC said that from this amount, P390 is MIAA’s share for maintenance and upkeep, P100 goes to the National Government, and P60 is for aviation security.

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