MANILA, Philippines – In a move to reduce queuing time at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has recently concluded talks with international air carrier representatives to incorporate the international passenger service charge (IPSC), commonly referred to as terminal fees, in the price of airline tickets beginning in October 2014.
“We congratulate MIAA on this new policy. 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,” said Secretary of Transportation and Communications Jun Abaya.
According to MIAA, the integration of the IPSC into airline tickets will help address the congestion problem for departing passengers at NAIA, and will free up a sizeable area since the existing terminal fee counters will be removed.
Moreover, this policy is at par with international standards and practices, since among ASEAN Region countries, it is only the Philippines which collects terminal fees on a face-to-face basis at the airport.
According to the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) which MIAA will sign with the air carriers later this month, the IPSC will be integrated by default in the tickets, whether purchased online or through ticketing offices or travel agents.
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.
The P550.00 IPSC collected by MIAA is essential to the continued operations of the airport. Out of this amount, P390.00 is MIAA’s share for maintenance and upkeep, P100.00 goes to the National Government, and P60.00 is for aviation security.
The DOTC is presently undertaking major upgrading projects for NAIA, particularly Terminals 1 and 3. The Terminal 1 Rehabilitation project, which entails structural retrofitting, architectural works, and improvement of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection facilities, is scheduled for completion in January 2015.
Meanwhile, completion works for Terminal 3 is set to be finished next month, to pave the way for the transfer of five airlines from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 by August 2014, namely: Singapore Airlines, Delta, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, and KLM Airlines. This will also help decongest Terminal 1 and allow more flexibility in the on-going rehabilitation efforts.
