News Release – August 9, 2005
References: Connie Bragas-Regalado, Chairperson, 0927-2157392
Vince Borneo, Information Officer, 0927-7968198; 926-2838

Migrante opposes airport fees hike

“This is another money making scheme that will only be an additional burden to the plane-riding public.”

Thus declared the MIGRANTE Sectoral Party on the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) board of directors decision to raise the P100 airport fee charged to domestic passengers by 100 percent starting September 1, 2005.

MIAA general manager Alfonso Cusi had said the increase was “long overdue as the last increase in domestic airport tax was in 1998.”

“The domestic passenger terminal fee hike will only add to the miseries of those who take air travel. From trying to charge OFWs with the P550 international airport fees to the Meet and Assist Service (MAS) racket at the airport, it seems that the present administration will not cease to extract more profits from the public even if the airports are perennial revenue-generation machines for government,” MIGRANTE Sectoral Party Connie Bragas-Regalado said.

MIAA statistics showed that domestic passenger traffic from January to December 2004 reached 6.74 million, where 3.59 million used the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminals 2, while 3.15 million used the Manila Domestic Airport . From them, the MIAA collected a total of P320.62 million in terminal fees.

From January to June this year, MIAA posted a total domestic passenger traffic of 3.67 million, translating to P174.35 million in terminal fees.

“These are already remarkable revenue figures. Why does government want to double their take from a public that is already burdened from so many price hikes in other modes of transportation fares, oil and basic commodities?” queried Bragas-Regalado.

From January to June this year, MIAA posted a total domestic passenger traffic of 3.67 million, translating to P174.35 million in terminal fees.

“We oppose any hike in airport fees. We call on Congress to investigate and block the implementation of this onerous scheme to add another burden to millions who take domestic plane flights in the country,” Bragas-Regalado ended. #

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