AN ADVOCACY group has called on the government to “immediately stop all of the on-going and proposed increases in fees” at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
AirportWatch spokesperson Danilo Lorenzo Delos Santos issued the call following the sharp increases in parking rates and landing and take-off charges at the NAIA, just two weeks after the San Miguel-led New NAIA Infra Corporation (NNIC) took over airport operations.
“Already, travelers are hit with excessive airport fees, inflated parking rates, and steep landing and take-off charges—fees that are being imposed long before the airport upgrades have even been completed or their benefits realized,” Delos Santos said.
Starting Oct. 1, the NNIC implemented a 300-percent increase in overnight parking rates for cars in NAIA. From P300, overnight parking is now at P1,200, the group noted.
“The public’s concerns have once again been ignored, despite the growing outcry for a reassessment of the steep fee hikes following San Miguel Corporation’s (SMC) takeover of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA),” Delos Santos stressed.
“We urge authorities to listen to the voices of the public and focus on ensuring that the deliverables of the concession agreement for NAIA rehabilitation is delivered first and enjoyed by airport users before any fee increase,” he added.
He said the increase in parking fee will significantly burden many ordinary passengers. “The new NAIA management claims these hikes are designed to decongest parking areas, yet the only outcome is to price out the average air traveler, catering only to the wealthy,” he explained.
“Airportwatch.PH stands with the public in rejecting these unjustified rates, which place a disproportionate burden on ordinary passengers,” he said.
In a radio interview, the Airline Operators’ Council (AOC) said even NAIA employees were suffering from the increase in parking rates.
AOC chairman Allan Nepomuceno said before the NNIC took over, the government gave special parking rates to NAIA employees, who are involved in the daily operations of the airports.
However, starting Oct. 1, they are paying the same rates as ordinary passengers.
Nepomuceno also said that airlines are expected to increase their airfares following the hike in take-off and landing fees in NAIA.
AirportWatch also opposed the increase in take-off and landing fees in NAIA, which is now among the highest in Asia.
Earlier, Air Carriers Association of the Philippines and the Consumers Union of the Philippines also resisted the increase.
“These costs will only further strain our local aviation industry, ultimately passing the burden onto consumers,” Delos Santos said.
“These fee increases negatively impact local and international travelers, as well as the many stakeholders affected by these drastic increases in airport fees that are meted by MIAA Administrative Order 1,” he also said.
Delos Santos feared that this is just the start of the many burdens the public will have to shoulder following the expected series of fees increases that will be implemented by the NNIC. “The public’s frustration is clear.
The outrageous parking fees, which have soared by 400%, from P300 to an absurd P1,200 for 24 hours is only the beginning”, he said.
“We call on for a full public disclosure of the details of all airport fees that have been increased which the DOTR says is actually part of the terms of reference of the NAIA rehabilitation bid,” Delos Santos added.
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