Philippines: $17 fee per passenger at airports set

Manila: The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has announced a forthcoming increase in passenger service charges (PSC) to $17 for international passengers across all airports under its jurisdiction.

The adjustment, outlined in Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 019-2025 dated April 4, 2025, comes ahead of the summer travel season, when passenger traffic typically surges.

The circular, signed by Raul L. Del Rosario, the agency's Director General, contains the revised schedule of all airports and concession fees and charges for all airports under CAAP.

$17 per passenger

According to the circular, the PSC for international flights will rise from from the existing ₱700 to ₱900 ($17) per passenger, a 28% increase.

12 international airports

The Philippines has 12 international airports, including major hubs like Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila, Clark in Pampanga and Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Cebu.

By comparison, passengers flying out of Singapore's Changi Airport currently pay a $46.40 passenger service and security fee (PSSF), which will further increase by $3 annually starting April 1, 2027.

According to CAAP, the PSC is typically included in the ticket price when passengers book their flights, and airlines are responsible for remitting the payment to the airport.

However, due to the new policy, the additional charge must now be paid directly at the airport, if the lower fees were charged during the time the ticket was purchased.

Passengers are advised to prepare the correct and sufficient amount to cover the additional terminal fees.

New fees for domestic flights

For domestic flights, the new charges will vary depending on the classification of the airport of departure:

Currently, the domestic PSC is uniformly set at ₱200.

The memorandum explicitly states that passengers who refuse or fail to pay the required PSC will not be permitted to board their flights.

OFWs exempted

However, exemptions are granted to specific categories, including children under the age of two, transit passengers, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) departing the country, and passengers who were denied entry into the Philippines.

The circular indicates that the new rates will be enforced 15 days after the memorandum’s publication in two newspapers of general circulation, in accordance with regulatory procedures.

Although CAAP has not specified the exact date when the revised charges will take effect, local media reported the new fees would kick in from today, Monday (April 21).

This development comes amid rising airport operational costs and increasing demand for air travel.

The revised PSC structure is expected to generate additional revenue to support airport maintenance and infrastructure development across the country, particularly during periods of high passenger volume.