Calls mount to halt airport fee hike following NAIA luggage mishap

MANILA, Philippines — The baggage trouble at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) justifies the call to halt the increase in airport fees, a consumer advocacy group said on Thursday, October 24.

In a statement, advocacy group CitizenWatch Philippines’ expressed concern after over 800 pieces of luggage were left behind due to a malfunction in the baggage handling system at NAIA Terminal 3 on Wednesday.

The group described the incident as proof that the significant adjustments in airport fees, including takeoff and landing charges, were “premature and unjust.”

“The recent debacle regarding the luggage handling system in NAIA Terminal 3 on October 22 should not be overlooked after having inconvenienced hundreds, if not thousands, of passengers of the airport,” CitizenWatch Co-convenor Kit Belmonte.

The former lawmaker also emphasized that the baggage mishap justifies earlier calls from various groups to suspend the implementation of Administrative Order 1, which introduced the fee increases. 

He then urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to reconsider the policy, arguing that improvements to airport facilities should be fully realized before any additional costs are passed on to passengers.

“We all want better airports and aviation services, but passengers should not be burdened with higher fees before those improvements take effect,” he said.

The incident occurred just weeks after the San Miguel-led New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. took over operations, raising concerns about the timing of significant airport fee hikes, including take-off and landing charges.

On October 1, the NNIC increased the landing and take-off fees at NAIA.

The minimum landing and takeoff fees for domestic flights involving aircraft weighing between 50,000 and 100,000 kilos have been increased to P15,417, up from the previous rate of P4,817.80. 

Similarly, the minimum fee for domestic aircraft exceeding 100,000 kilos has been raised to P34,617, a significant increase from P10,806.

However, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista clarified that higher fees for take-off and landing do not necessarily lead to higher airfares, according to a report by GMA News.

The luggage mishap, which took place on October 22, left pieces of baggage at NAIA Terminal 3 due to a “malfunction” in its 20-year-old baggage handling system.

In response to the mishap, airlines offered passengers the option to either pick up their baggage at the airport or have it delivered to their destinations.

They also offered delivery services for passengers on international flights with connecting flights.

As of writing, one of the airlines, Cebu Pacific, said that 90% of the the previously left-behind bags have been recovered and that baggage operations are back to normal.