Privatizing NAIA: Better Airport or Bigger Burden for Filipinos?

Going through Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has become noticeably more expensive and many people are asking: is the airport really getting better or are we just paying more for the same service? The first year under private management has brought big changes, and not all of them seem to help travellers.

From higher fees to closed shops, here’s what is happening and who is affected.

Image credit: Manila International Airport Authority Facebook Page

At first glance, it might seem like the problem is only the higher terminal fees. International departing passengers will soon pay ₱950 instead of ₱550, while domestic passengers will pay ₱390 instead of ₱200.

But the issue goes beyond numbers. The bigger question is whether giving control of NAIA to private companies is really helping passengers. Critics worry that making a profit has become more important than improving the airport for the people who use it.

Also read: NAIA Fee Hike Sparks Concerns Over End of Promo Fares

Image credit: Manila International Airport Authority Facebook Page

The new rules do not just affect travellers. Shops inside NAIA now pay much higher rents. According to SUKI Network’s Facebook post, rents jumped from ₱700 per square meter to at least ₱3,200. Lounges and other commercial spaces start at ₱1,500, with some already over ₱2,500 per square meter.

Many small stores could not keep up and had to close, leaving hundreds of employees without work. Parking fees also increased from ₱300 to ₱1,200 for the first 24 hours. Workers and passengers alike feel the impact, and the airport experience changes when fewer shops and services are available.

Overseas Filipino workers are supposed to be exempt from the new terminal fees. But airlines often pass these costs on in ticket prices. This means OFWs still end up paying indirectly, even though the exemption exists.

Image credit: Manila International Airport Authority Facebook Page

It is not just tickets that are getting more expensive. A small bottle of water now costs ₱50 instead of ₱26, and a pack of biscuits went from ₱26 to ₱88. Aircraft parking rates also jumped from ₱19,044 for the first four hours to ₱28,000.

These small increases add up quickly. For families, workers, and students who travel, the airport is starting to feel more like a place where almost everything costs extra.

Millions of people pass through NAIA every year, yet these fee increases and new rules were decided without asking passengers what they thought. According to SUKI, the process lacked transparency and approval from the proper government committees.

This makes people feel like the changes benefit big companies more than the travellers themselves.

Image credit: Manila International Airport Authority Facebook Page

NAIA was already making money before privatization. Its income grew from ₱1 billion in 2022 to over ₱7 billion in 2024, mostly from passenger fees at the old rates.

Critics say the government could have used that money to improve the airport instead of giving control to a private company. If that is true, it is hard to argue that privatization and the steep fee hikes that came with it were really necessary.

Also read: NAIA Lessens Long Lines While Green Lane Scanning Are Suspended

Image credit: Manila International Airport Authority Facebook Page

Lawyers, taxpayers, OFWs, former airline staff, and consumer groups like SUKI Network on Facebook are raising concerns about the new fees and rules. This shows that the issue affects a lot of people, not just travellers.

The Supreme Court has not decided yet. In the meantime, travellers continue to pay higher fees, and prices inside the airport keep rising.

The bigger question is whether NAIA should stay a public service or become a profit-driven centre. The outcome will affect not just tickets and parking but also how public services are supposed to work for ordinary Filipinos.

Featured image credit: Manila International Airport Authority Facebook Page