Manila Airport One Less Queue

I was at the signing of Manila Airport One Less Queue. A Memorandum of Agreement for the integration of Domestic Terminal Fee effective August 1, 2012.  Attended by the Airlines like PAL, Cebu Pacific, AirPhil, Sea Air, Zest, Sky Pasada  CEOs and MIAA General Manager. As well as with DOTC secretary Mar Roxas.

The integration between MIAA and domestic airline company for the 200 peso terminal fee. That will be a part of its airline cost. So its really a convenience for travelers like me because before this we used to pay 200 terminal fee at the counter. And wait for long lines.

For NAIA terminal 2,3 and 4 based on year 2011 stats this terminal hit 8.43million against 7.37 million last 2010. MIAA projects about 11.3million passengers will pass this 3 terminals this year 2013. 

You may see slide-share presentation here. Also our lunch pictures and kapihan interview with former Senator Mar Roxas here.

DOTC/MIAA FORMALIZES AGREEMENT WITH MAJOR CARRIERS 

TO INTEGRATE TERMINAL FEE INTO AIRLINE TICKETS

New system allows domestic passengers 

to skip one line before boarding plane

Manila, Philippines – Domestic airline passengers lining up to pay terminal fee at the country’s airports will soon be a thing of the past as the Department of Transportation and Communications and the Manila International Airport Authority formalized the agreement with major airline companies to integrate the fees into the total cost of airline tickets.

A memorandum of agreement was signed by DOTC/MIAA with major carriers in a signing ceremony today at NAIA Terminal 3 attended by Transportation secretary Mar Roxas and top officials of airline companies.

The government was represented by Jose Angel Honrado, general manager of MIAA while the airline companies were led by their top executives. They include Inigo Zobel, president and CEO of Air Philippines; Lance Gokongwei, president and CEO of Cebu Air, Inc; Ramon Ang, president and COO of PAL; Avelino Zapanta, president and CEO of Seair Inc.; Ramon Guico III, president and CEO Sky Pasada; and Alfredo M. Yao, president and CEO of Zest Air.

The new system for domestic flights takes effect from 01 August 2012.

“We appreciate the airline companies’ full cooperation ‘who worked assiduously’ in instituting the new system to provide a better and efficient airport service to air travelers,” Roxas said.

  

The integration of terminal fee into the airline tickets had been previously rejected by carriers due to the perceived complexity of sorting out the amount due to the number of exemptions granted by the government to different passenger groups.

This is expected to save time and add convenience to 70% domestic passengers who are not entitled to any exemptions.  Only exempted passengers such as athletes, overseas workers, senior citizens and babies under 2-years old, will line up at designated claim booths for refund.

Currently, passengers had to complete four procedures – the initial screening upon entering the terminal, check-in counter to get their boarding pass, payment of terminal fee, and the final security screening – before boarding their flights. The new system enables all departing domestic passengers to skip one line before they board the plane. They no longer need to queue and pay terminal fees in all domestic airports in the country, allowing passengers to do other things before boarding the plane.

“This is just one part of the whole program we are implementing to smooth and speed up the ground operations of our airports, and ensure the convenience of air passengers,” Roxas said.

The transition time to fully implement the new system is expected to last until middle of next year as there will still be a terminal fee collection booth for those who have already bought their tickets without terminal fee. Before the end of the year, terminal fees for international flights will also be incorporated in the plane ticket.

Meanwhile, the DOTC earlier unveiled several short- and long-term measures to solve the problem of runway congestion at NAIA.

To address the issue and to support local airline companies’ expansion program, Roxas said the government will continue to enhance the infrastructure of the country’s major airports. From just an airline fleet population of 62 five years ago, the airline industry’s total fleet number has almost doubled to 119 today.

Part of this effort, the government has allocated P800M to night-rate 14 additional airports in Tagbilaran, Legazpi, Dumaguete, Butuan, Ozamis, Cotabato, Naga, Dipolog, Roxas, Pagadian, Tuguegarao, Busuanga, Surigao and San Jose, Mindoro.   

The rehabilitation of NAIA Terminal 1 is also in progress. “The structural work, together with the mechanical-electrical-plumbing and fire-protection (MEPF) work at NAIA T1will be completed next year,” he said.

NAIA Terminal 3 will be in full operation early next year once the 23 airport systems, including baggage handling system and closed-circuit televisions that will cover all areas of the terminal, are delivered by Takenaka Corp. - DOTC Press -

DOTC – Department of Transportation and Communications

NAIA – Ninoy Aquino International Airport

MIAA – Manila International Airport Authority