NAIA eyes hike in terminal fee

MANILA, Philippines - The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) is planning to increase the terminal fee being collected from departing passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) from P550 to P750.

Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel Roxas II said yesterday that the MIAA board of directors, which he chairs, is now reviewing the proposed P200 increase in terminal fee.

The increase in terminal fee will be used to finance the rehabilitation and beautification program at the airport, particularly the 30-year-old NAIA Terminal 1.

Sought for comment, MIAA general manager Jose Angel Honrado said the MIAA had been collecting from international departing passengers P200 as security and development charge (SDC) but scrapped it last year.

He said the planned reimposition of the P200 fee will be implemented if there is a need for it.

But airport sources said the P200 additional fee will take effect within six months.

Roxas said the talks with Takenaka, the Japanese sub-contractor of the controversial NAIA Terminal 3, have been ongoing to complete the unfinished terminal.

On the other hand, the rehabilitation and expansion of NAIA Terminal 1 are underway.

The DOTC has invited five reputable contractors – DMCI, EEI Corp., DDT Konstract, Inc., Hillmarcs Corp., and Datem Inc. – to submit proposals for the construction component of the P1.16-billion rehabilitation of Terminal I.

Roxas said the rehabilitation project includes the expansion of the NAIA Terminal I passenger areas, relocation of the Philippine National Police (PNP) office inside the NAIA complex, and the duty free shops at the terminal.

He added that more immigration counters at the Terminal 1 will be set up to speed up the entry of arriving passengers at the airport.

Roxas had earlier announced that they have tapped the NAIA Terminal 1 original architects, the firm of National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin, Leandro V. Locsin & Associates, to be the lead designer and architect of the makeover.

The airport had its last major overhaul in 1996 in time for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. – With Rudy Santos