The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said the integration of terminal fees into the cost of airline tickets will start on Wednesday, October 1.
The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) announced in June it had “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.”
The one-year transition integration program starts this coming October, while full implementation of the new policy will be in October 2015.
The DOTC has also instructed the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC), as well as the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), which operates the country’s airports besides NAIA, Cebu, and Clark to incorporate the terminal fee into the cost of airline tickets.
The P550 ($12.34) IPSC is essential to the continued operations of the airport, MIAA said. Out of this amount, P390 ($8.76) is MIAA’s share for maintenance and upkeep; P100 ($2.24) goes to the national government; and P60 ($1.35) for aviation security.
Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), pilgrims, and athletes are exempted from paying the terminal fees, provided they can present certifications from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
A terminal fee is collected from the exempted passengers whose airline tickets were purchased online or abroad, and if no exemption certificate is presented when tickets are purchased over the counter.
However, MIAA said the terminal fees could be refunded at NAIA upon presentation of overseas employment certificates, electronic tickets, boarding passes, and MIAA exemption certificates.
The move is meant to reduce queuing time at the airport and address the congestion problem for departing passengers. Terminal fee counters will be removed. The new policy is expected to free up a sizeable area since the existing terminal fee counters will be removed.
To date, the Philippines is the only member-country of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that collects terminal fees at the airport.--Source: Pinoy website