The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) is all set for the integration of the domestic terminal fee (or Domestic Passengers Users Charge) into the cost of airline ticket.
“Beginning Aug. 1, 2012, the P200 terminal fee will be paid and collected upon purchase of airline tickets through Internet booking, airline ticket offices and ticketing or travel agents,” Jose Angel Honrado, general manager of MIAA, said.
“We expect a complete phaseout of our domestic terminal fee counters after a year. Until that time, we advise all domestic passengers departing from Manila on Aug. 1, 2012 onwards to bring a printed copy of the airline ticket or electronic ticket or itinerary receipt,” the airport chief added.
“This will be presented as they check-in for their flight in NAIA,” Honrado said.
As yet, the MIAA cannot effect a complete phase-out of the domestic terminal fee counters because there are still holders of tickets purchased prior to Aug. 1, 2012. These passengers will have to pay the P200 terminal fee at the counters at the NAIA terminals.
Removal of the terminal fee counters will provide more space for passenger movement inside NAIA domestic terminals.
The six domestic carriers that recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the MIAA for this endeavor are Air Philippines, Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, Seair, Sky Pasada and Zest Air.
The integration will benefit millions of passengers who travel via NAIA Terminals 2, 3 and 4. For the year 2011, total domestic passengers that passed through these three terminals hit 8.43 million as against 7.37 million in 2010.
“We are already preparing for the second phase of the integration project where we hope to replicate this arrangement with the international airline companies,” Honrado said.