NAIA curbside fee imposition likely this year

After jacking up overnight parking fees by 300 percent, New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) is also considering imposing fines against vehicles overstaying at curbside parking as early as this year to ease congestion at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Speaking to reporters at the Aviation Summit on Thursday, NNIC General Manager Angelito Alvarez said the company is already studying the plan as part of efforts to enhance the travel experience.

“Curbside parking will be limited, and that's normal at other airports in the world. If it's 3 minutes, it's 3 minutes. Beyond that, fees can be imposed. There's a group working on that,” Alvarez said.

When asked if the curbside parking fines could be implemented this year, Alvarez responded: “Possible. You know our boss.”

To recall, it was NNIC President Ramon S. Ang who floated the idea of penalizing overstaying “meeters and greeters” at airport curbside as practiced by other international airports last August.

NNIC is a consortium composed of Ang-led San Miguel Holdings Corp., RMM Asian Logistics Inc., RLW Aviation Development Inc., and Incheon International Airport Corp. 

Starting this month, private vehicle owners who park their cars overnight at the NAIA will have to shell out P1,200, a 300-percent increase from the previous P300 charge, drawing criticism from the public.

The NNIC said the changes were a crucial first step toward optimizing parking facilities for passengers.

Alvarez defended the adjusted parking rates, calling them reasonable after an NNIC study revealed that most overnight parkers were not airport workers or passengers but locals taking advantage of the previously low fees.

“We are studying all of that. As far as we are concerned, based on our study, the rates are very reasonable and that’s on the concession agreement,” he said.

The order was issued by the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) prior to NNIC taking over airport operations, following a thorough review of fees for various regulated airport services, he added.