Legal Group Disputes Airport Fee Claims
A group of lawyers has disputed the claim that the Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminal fees will remain the lowest in Southeast Asia despite a scheduled increase this month. These legal experts, who are also petitioners in a Supreme Court case, called the assertion made by the Manila International Airport Authority general manager misleading and lacking essential context.
Overview of the Terminal Fee Increase
According to officials, the terminal fee for international travelers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) will rise from P550 to P950. Meanwhile, fees for domestic passengers will increase from P200 to P390. The airport authority compared these rates to fees at airports in Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan’s Haneda Airport, suggesting that Naia’s fees will still be the lowest in the region.
Lawyers Question Fee Justifications
However, the petitioners argued that this comparison overlooks critical factors. “The relatively new structures and facilities in the other SEA (South East Asian) airports justify their relatively higher terminal fees,” they explained. They emphasized that Naia’s infrastructure is outdated, with most facilities being at least 25 years old and no recent major construction projects since Terminal 3’s completion in 2014.
“The same cannot be said about Naia’s old facilities,” community members noted. They pointed out that airports such as Singapore’s Changi and Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi have undergone extensive renovations and expansions, justifying their higher fees. In contrast, Naia has not seen similar improvements to warrant the increased charges.
Concerns Over Funding and Infrastructure
The legal group also highlighted that passengers are effectively funding the capital and operational expenses of Naia’s private operator without receiving tangible improvements in airport infrastructure. “Compared to the airports in the other countries in the Southeast Asian region where they first invested money in the construction, expansion and improvements of their airports and terminals before charging commensurate fees,” local leaders remarked.
Legal Action Against Fee Increase
The lawyers have filed a petition before the Supreme Court challenging the legality of the MIAA Administrative Order No. 1, series of 2024, and the public-private partnership concession agreement responsible for permitting the fee hike. They argue that the increase will impact approximately 130,000 airline passengers daily, amounting to more than 50 million travelers annually based on 2024 statistics.
The petitioners, including lawyers Joel Butuyan and Roger Rayel as well as law deans Maria Soledad Deriquito-Mawis, Antonio Gabriel La Viña, and Jose Mari Benjamin Francisco Tirol, have also submitted an urgent motion requesting a temporary restraining order to halt the implementation of the increased terminal fees.
For more news and updates on Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminal fees, visit Filipinokami.com.
