To cover price hikes, airlines to slap new fee

Travelers may have to pay more for their plane tickets before the year ends, as airlines propose to collect a new fee of up to P300 per flight to cover price hikes at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

- By ELIJAH FELICE ROSALES

Domestic carriers Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines are asking the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to approve the collection of a terminal enhancement fee to help recover the increasing cost of flying in NAIA.

The STAR learned that all three carriers are seeking a terminal enhancement fee of P75 per way for domestic flights, meaning a passenger going on a local round trip may have to pay P150 more.

Further, Cebu Pacific is proposing a terminal enhancement fee of P300 per way for international flights, with PAL pursuing around the same rate.

AirAsia Philippines is seeking P275 per way for its foreign trips, which are mostly within Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia.

PAL, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines want to collect a terminal enhancement fee to temper the impact of higher service charges in NAIA. New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC) has doubled, if not tripled, airport costs since taking over last month.