NAIA terminal fee to be included in airline ticket prices starting October

NAIA Terminal 1. Photo by John P. Solis / Wikipedia

MANILA — Goodbye, long terminal fee queues.

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) on Wednesday said that starting October, passengers will no longer have to line up to pay their terminal fees.

The terminal fee will already be included as soon as a passenger purchases an airline ticket — either online or through ticketing offices or travel agents, the DOTC said.

This is part of the agency’s effort to reduce queuing time and help address the congestion problem for departing passengers at NAIA.

According to the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), this move will also free up a sizeable area since the existing terminal fee counters will be removed.

Before this policy was brought up, the Philippines was the only ASEAN country that collected terminal fees on a face-to-face basis at the airport.

With the new policy, the country will now be at par with international standards and practices, since among ASEAN Region countries.

DOTC Secretary Joseph Abaya, in a statement, congratulated the MIAA for the new policy, saying that “it improves traveling convenience and efficiency at NAIA.”

The DOTC noted that the integration program will begin in October 2014, with a one-year transition period ending in September 2015.

Meanwhile, full implementation of the policy will be in October 2015.

The MIAA will be signing a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the air carriers to integrate the terminal fee in the tickets later this month.

From the P 550 terminal fee being collected by MIAA, P390 is for its share for maintenance and upkeep, P100 goes to the government, and P60 for aviation security.