Post-hike NAIA passenger fees still lower than or comparable to peer airports

Insider Spotlight:

• NAIA to raise passenger service charges starting Sept. 2025
• Rates remain lower than most regional and Philippine airports
• New fees support improved airport services and facilities

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) will implement an increase in passenger service charges beginning in September 2025, aligning fees more closely with other regional gateways while remaining among the most competitively priced airports in Asia and the Philippines.

Driving the news

Under the Manila International Airport Authority’s revised Administrative Order No. 1, departing international passengers at NAIA will pay P950 by the second year of the adjustment period, up from the current P550.

Domestic travelers will see their passenger service charges rise to P390 from P200 over the same period.

Why it matters

Despite the increases, NAIA’s new fee structure still falls below or within range of those charged at comparable hubs in Southeast and East Asia, according to figures obtained by InsiderPH.

For example:

• Singapore’s Changi Airport imposes the equivalent of P2,683
• Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport charges P1,241
• Japan’s Haneda and Kansai airports collect over P1,100 per passenger

Even Kuala Lumpur, often seen as a budget hub, levies P953 for international departures.

What they’re saying

Regulators emphasized that the adjustments were necessary to fund essential improvements in airport services and infrastructure. The changes also bring NAIA’s passenger service charges closer to international benchmarks while still offering cost advantages to travelers.

On the domestic front, NAIA’s revised rates also remain within the mid-range. By the second year of the New NAIA Infra Corp.’s management of the country’s premier aviation gateway, airport charges around the country stand at the following levels:

• Mactan Cebu’s passenger service charge is P1,030 for international flights
• Clark charges P750
• Davao, Iloilo, Bohol, and Kalibo airports charge P900
• NAIA’s P950 sits between these and remains below Cebu’s top-tier rate .

The bottom line

While passengers will pay more starting September 2025, NAIA’s fees remain relatively low compared to regional peers and major Philippine airports.

The airport authority is betting that improved services and a competitive fee structure will help sustain traffic and traveler satisfaction in the years ahead.

— Edited by Daxim L. Lucas