The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has called local airlines to a meeting next week to explain why roundtrip tickets to Siargao and other tourist destinations are reaching as high as P30,000.
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon will lead the talks on August 26 with the Association of Air Carriers of the Philippines, alongside officials from the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
“I want to know why their fares are so expensive. At times, it is cheaper to go to Japan than to Siargao. To Siargao, it costs P25,000 to P30,000,” Dizon said in an interview.
The transport chief said the government wants to find ways to make air travel more affordable, especially during the holiday season. He noted that fuel surcharges remain low, with the CAB setting the rate at Level 4 this month, ranging from P117 to P342 for domestic flights and P385.70 to P2,867.82 for international trips.
Despite the lower surcharge, Dizon said airfares remain unusually high. In July, the CAB had reduced the surcharge to Level 3, but carriers continued charging higher-than-expected ticket prices.
This is not the first time Dizon has flagged excessive airfare. In June, the DOTr fined AirAsia’s booking arm, AirAsia Move, P6 million after it was found selling Tacloban flights at around P39,000 per way. The company has since corrected its pricing system.
