The Manila International Airport Authority received more than P13 million from six airlines who followed the lead of Cebu Pacific Air and its sister airline Cebgo in remitting terminal fees they have collected for unused tickets of international passengers.
MIAA general manager Eddie Monreal expressed elation over the decision of the six airline companies to follow the lead of Cebu Pacific and Cebgo officials who were the first to remit to his agency the amount of P245.6-million terminal fee it collected during the period of Feb. 1, 2015 to April 30, 2018 (international flights) and from August 2012 to April 30, 2018 (domestic flights).
Monreal said Singapore Airlines remitted P4,301,550 covering the period of February 2015 to March 2016; Kuwait Airways (P1,942,600 for the period February 2015 to December 2016); KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (P1,081,850 covering February 2016 to June 2017); Ethiopian Airlines (P92,400 covering June 2015 and April 2016); Qatar Airways (P1,308,450 for the period February 2015 to December 2015); and Cathay Pacific (P5,017,650). “©
As of July 13, 2018, the MIAA got a total P259,355,329 collection from the eight airlines.
The collection will be kept in a special escrow account and can be refunded by passengers either personally or by representative. “©
“We appreciate this gesture of our airline partners. I can say that this is the essence of a consultative and participative working relationship. No issue cannot be resolved if everyone is engaged and sincerely dealing with each other,” Monreal said in a statement.
MIAA media affairs division officials said passengers of the eight airlines with unused tickets and whose departure dates fall on the dates specified above may claim their refund at the Collection Office at the ground floor of MIAA administration Building along MIA Road, Pasay City.
They added the business hours are from 8 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday.”©
To expedite and facilitate the refund process, claimants are advised to bring original copy of their ticket showing record locator number and valid government issued identification card bearing their signature. “©
Proxy refund is also allowed subject to presentation of an authorization from the passenger, original copy of passenger’s ticket showing record locator number, original government issued ID of the passenger and original government issued ID of the representative bearing his signature. “©”©
In March 2017, all 40 airline companies operating at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport signed an agreement with the Department of Transportation and the MIAA to exempt OFWs from paying the P550 terminal fee.
Under the agreement, exemption from paying terminal fees shall be honored to OFWs at any point of sale, local and overseas and online.
Paying the terminal fee known as International Passenger Service Charge was imposed during the previous administration.
Monreal said he made the decision to scrap the policy after working on the technical details in coordination with the international airlines to eliminate the obnoxious fee opposed by millions of OFWs.
The MIAA, during the last administration, integrated the cost of the international terminal fee on the cost of the airline tickets to alleviate the congestion problem in Manila airports.
The P550 terminal fee collected by the airport is used for the continuing operations of airports.