Hiked fees will fund NAIA upgrades, says NNIC

The private operator of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) said Wednesday that proceeds from an upcoming increase in passenger service charges will be used to fund airport improvements.

New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) said new rates of P950 for international flights and P390 for domestic flights will take effect in September.

The company noted that the adjusted fees are still below inflation-adjusted levels and that any company that had won the bid to operate the airport would have implemented a similar schedule.

NNIC cited recent upgrades, including renovated facilities, improved WiFi, new trolleys and shuttles, and an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) lounge and it also said that automated parking and biometric processing have been introduced and that work on Terminals 4 and 5 is underway.

"The passenger service charge (PSC) adjustment is a government-mandated, inflation-delayed update, necessary to sustain these improvements and deliver the larger modernization that passengers deserve," NNIC said in a statement.

The company said it remains committed to ensuring the airport operates "safely, efficiently, and affordably for the Filipino public." NNIC also cited that OFWs will continue to be exempt from the terminal fee.

To recall, NNIC took over NAIA's operations in September 2024 following a competitive and transparent bidding process.

The airport serves more than 50 million passengers a year, prompting the need for urgent modernization.