A sudden surge in overnight parking fees at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has left passengers, employees, and airport users reeling. The new parking rates, based on a memo issued by the New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) last 30 September 2024, have skyrocketed from PHP300 to a steep PHP1,200, significantly increasing the cost for those who leave their vehicles at the airport overnight. The new parking rates took effect on 01 October 2024 — just hours after the memo was issued.
This abrupt hike is particularly burdensome for travelers who typically leave their cars at NAIA during short trips, and it poses an even greater challenge for airport employees who often work extended hours due to flight delays or irregular schedules. Many of these employees rely on overnight parking, and the new rates threaten to cut into their already tight budgets. “For those of us who work long shifts, this is a major blow. Parking has become unaffordable,” said one airport worker.
Despite the growing concerns and confusion surrounding the increase, NNIC has remained silent. In an effort to seek clarification on the new parking rates and the rationale behind them, we sent an email to key officials at NNIC, but as of this writing, no response has been received.
Based on a memorandum issued by the AGM-SES last month, we were able to obtain the email addresses of NNIC officials MGen. Ramon A. Ragasa, PAF (Ret.), Angelito A. Alvarez (NNIC General Manager), and Roland Rouland. On 14 September 2024, we sent an email to these officials, requesting the contact details of the NNIC’s media bureau following their takeover of the NAIA. After receiving no response, we followed up on 17 September 2024, but again, as of this writing, we have not received any acknowledgment or response from NNIC.
In a further attempt to gather information, we reached out to the Media Affairs Division of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), only to be given the same email addresses as media contacts.
The lack of communication from NNIC has added to the frustration of airport users and employees, who are demanding transparency and accountability regarding the sudden spike in parking fees. “There was no warning, no consultation with the public, and now we’re left to deal with this,” said a frequent traveler who uses the NAIA parking facilities and left his vehicle just two days before the new rates took effect.
Many fear that the increased parking rates will also have a ripple effect on other services at the airport.