Aviation Day, meant to honor progress in the skies, turned into a day of anger and protest as PUSO ng NAIA (Pagkakaisa ng mga Users, Stakeholders at Obrero ng NAIA) renewed its demand for the Supreme Court and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to stop looming airport fee hikes and block the privatization of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
The coalition of aviation workers, labor groups, and OFW representatives slammed the San Miguel–led concession deal, warning that the government’s projected ₱900 billion windfall over 25 years is nothing more than a “dream built on the backs of Filipino travelers.”
According to the DOTr and Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), the deal would earn the government around ₱36 billion annually from upfront payments, fixed annuities, and a hefty 82.16 percent revenue share from operations. But critics say this massive revenue projection is unrealistic unless travelers shoulder relentless increases in fees.
“Where will this ₱900 billion come from? From us — the passengers and the workers,” said Romy Sauler, PUSO ng NAIA’s head secretariat and former PAL Employees Union vice president. “The public is being sold a fantasy, but the hidden cost will be higher terminal fees, higher service charges, and a more expensive journey for every Filipino who needs to fly.”
Sauler noted that NAIA’s current yearly income ranges only between ₱14 to 16 billion. For the government to hit its ambitious target, he warned, fees would have to surge far beyond sustainable levels — affecting not just leisure travelers but also OFWs, students, and workers who rely on affordable flights.
The group’s concerns have now reached the Supreme Court. A petition filed on August 12 directly challenges the legality of MIAA’s Revised Administrative Order No. 1, S. 2024, and the concession agreement itself. Petitioners argue the government bypassed genuine public consultation, invented a category of “non-regulated fees” with no checks and balances, and unlawfully gave private companies the power to impose charges.
Respondents named in the petition include Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, DOTr Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon, MIAA General Manager Eric Jose C. Ines, the MIAA Fees and Charges Committee, and New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) President Ramon S. Ang.
“This is not about opposing modernization,” Sauler emphasized. “It’s about stopping the railroading of illegal fee hikes and the surrender of government’s duty to regulate charges. Privatization cannot come at the cost of people’s rights.”
PUSO ng NAIA also warned against the Deficit Payment Clause in the deal, which forces government to subsidize the concessionaire if proposed fee hikes are blocked. “This clause is a ticking time bomb for taxpayers. It puts the public on the hook to guarantee private profits,” Sauler said.
On a day meant to highlight aviation’s role in connecting people, the coalition painted a sobering picture: “Behind every peso in increased charges is a family trying to reunite, an OFW saving for a ticket home, a student pursuing opportunity. These aren’t numbers — these are lives,” Sauler stressed.
PUSO ng NAIA is now urging the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop both the implementation of the revised fees and the privatization agreement, declaring them void altogether.
“The country’s airports must remain a public trust, not a private tollway,” the group concluded.