MANILA - Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista defended the increase in parking fees at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA)and said other fees have already increased as well, including landing and take-off fees.

At the 2024 Aviation Summit in Pasay, Bautista said the regular parking rate at NAIA is not that big compared to other parking facilities. He admitted that the overnight parking fee hike was significant, but that people should not park at the airport overnight anyway.

“Yung airport naman hindi dapat overnight parking yan. Dapat yan para doon sa mga pasahero, mga sumusundo,” Bautista told reporters at the sideline of the summit.

(There should actually be no overnight parking at the airport. Parking should be for passengers and those fetching passengers.)

The New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation (NNIC) announced that new parking rates took effect October 1, 2024. The first two hours of parking for cars rose from P40 to P50 with an additional P25 per succeeding hour. Overnight parking jumped from P300 to P1,200.

But Bautista said that aside from parking fees, many airport fees have already increased like landing, take off and even aircraft parking fees. He said this was all part of the Manila International Airport Authority Administrative Order, which was also studied by the Asian Development Bank.

“Increase niya is medyo malaki siya. I think it’s almost double. The rates’ last increase was in the year 2000,” said Bautista.

(The fee increase is slightly significant. I think it’s almost double. The rates’ last increase was in the year 2000.)

Bautista admitted that there is a need to raise various airport rates so the San Miguel-led NNIC, NAIA’s new operator, can generate revenues and recoup their investments to fund the rehabilitation projects.

“The reason for this is for us to be able to generate revenues especially the concessionaire for them to be able to finance the infrastructure requirements to modernize the airport… This is for the concessionaire to be able to also recover their investments and for them to spend money for the modernization of NAIA,” Bautista said.

Bautista said there may be minimal effect on ticket prices. The rate increases, he said, will be absorbed by the airlines, but it will also be passed on to passengers.

“Passengers won’t mind paying a little bit more than what. They are paying now if they have a very good airport experience,” Bautista said.

Senator Grace Poe, who spoke at the summit, said she supports airport modernization projects, but she also urged Bautista to review the rate increases saying that any cost adjustments could deter airlines from flying into the Philippines.

“You get what you pay for. But perhaps this could be reviewed as the increase in take-off fees for both international and domestic carriers could possibly affect airlines’ viability to offer flights to the Philippines,” Poe said.

The NNIC has also earlier said terminal fee hike will be implemented in September next year.

The Aviation Summit is organized by the European Chamber of the Philippines (ECCP) and the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA). The summit aims to draw deeper awareness of aviation’s critical role in the Philippine economic progress.