MANILA’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 will be lowering airport taxes for all international travellers from PHP750 (US$17.40) to PHP550 by February 1, and has kickstarted long overdue renovations worth a reported PHP 1.16 billion.
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) will also scrap the PHP200 security facility upgrade tax imposed since February 2007, while the renovation funds will be spent on structural retrofitting of the terminal building, landscaping, and upgraded facilities such as more immigration counters and restroom amenities.
More than one-third of the funds will be spent on the construction of a rapid entry taxiway aimed at decreasing flight congestion, allowing up to 40-50 flights per hour.
Emy Malate, vice president of marketing at Image Travel & Tours Corp said: “(The lower taxes) are good news since it lowers overall travel costs.”
She added: “What we are looking forward to hearing about is the transfer of international flights from Terminal 1 to 3, which is much more convenient for visitor sendoff and welcoming.”
Meanwhile, MIAA general manager Jose Angel Honrado confirmed last week that PIATCO, the entity overseeing construction of NAIA Terminal 3 together with German firm Fraport, had decided to drop its US$565 million lawsuit against the Philippine government. Honrado said the development should “pave the way for full commercial operations at NAIA Terminal 3”.
Many commercial airlines operating in the Philippines and represented by the Board of Airline Representatives have long clamoured for a transfer to the new Terminal 3 from Terminal 1, which according to the Department of Tourism is operating at 66 per cent capacity, compared to Terminal 1’s 162 per cent.
