Starting March next year, overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) will be exempted from paying the P550 airport terminal fee, Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Ed Monreal announced.
Monreal said his office is working on technical details and coordinating with international airlines to eliminate the airport terminal fee imposed by the previous management of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on OFWs in February 2015.
OFWs are required to pay the P550 airport terminal fee when they buy tickets online or in airline ticket offices. They can claim their refund upon departure at the airport terminals.
But since OFWs are busy individuals, many failed to claim their refund.
Total collections of the airport terminal fee has reached more than a billion pesos and half of this amount remains unclaimed by OFWs. The unclaimed amount remains in the general fund of the NAIA.
Monreal said his office is ready to refund the fees to OFWs as long as they possess the E-ticket, boarding pass and passport they used even several years ago.
Air congestion at NAIA is also expected to be greatly reduced in the first quarter of 2017 as aviation agencies prepare projects for more efficient management of air traffic.
It will extend surveillance of aircraft and improve navigational accuracy as well.
