Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista denied an online news report claiming that Malacañang was angry with the increase in airport fees without the approval of the Cabinet members.
“The Bilyonaryo article is malicious and unfounded,” Bautista said in a Viber message, referring to the website that published the said story. “Bilyonaryo is inconsistent,” he added.
Bilyonaryo reported online that “Bautista and his long-time protege in Philippine Airlines, Undersecretary for Aviation and Airports Bobby Lim, are at the center of the storm after it was revealed that the steep increases in airport charges were rolled out as part of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) privatization plan without the green light from the Cabinet.”
“Both Bautista and Lim are facing heightened scrutiny over their involvement in the decision-making process,” it added.
Bautista said the Cabinet members together with President Marcos held a meeting last July 9 to discuss the development of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) executive earlier said that the higher airport charges and passenger terminal fees at NAIA would enable the new concessionaire, the San Miguel Group, to recoup some of its investments.
Bautista said the airport charges, which include landing and take-off as well as parking fees, would increase before end-2024.
While passenger terminal fees would also increase by 2025 to P950 from P550 and are subject to review by the interagency committee.
The DOTr formally turned over the operations and maintenance of NAIA last September 14, 2024.
The SMC-led New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (formerly SMC SAP & Co. Consortium) signed a P170.6-billion contract in March 2024 to operate, maintain and upgrade NAIA for 15 years, extendable for another 10 years.
San Miguel Group earlier said it is mobilizing at least P88 billion in capital investments within the first six years and at least P122.3 billion in capital investments for its entire 25-year concession period.
The government expects to generate P900 billion in revenues in the course of the 25-year concession period, inclusive of the P30 billion upfront payment, P2 billion annual payment and 82 percent government revenue share.
