DOTr orders extension of airport rental holidays, deferred collection of rental fees

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has ordered airport authorities to extend the rental holidays, as well as the deferment of collection of rental fees for airport concessionaires following the extension of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

In a statement on Friday, the DOTr said the extension of airport rental holidays is until the end of April, while the deferment of collection for rental fees will be until the end of May.

Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade gave the order during a teleconference meeting with aviation and airport officials on Wednesday.

According to Tugade, the order covers “all concessionaires that are renting/leasing spaces in the terminals of airports under the jurisdiction of Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), and the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC).”

Because of the extension, the lease or rental fees of airport concessionaires for the entire month of May will be deferred. Payments will resume in June 2020.

“As our aviation and airport sector has been hardly-hit by this COVID-19 pandemic, following the decreasing number of passengers, and flights —  this extension of rental holidays, and deferment of rental charges would ease the burden of paying fees for our airport concessionaires,” Tugade said.

The order to implement airport “rental holidays” and the deferment of the collection of rental charges was first given by the DOTr last March, following the order of the national government to place Luzon under a period of enhanced community quarantine due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The Philippines currently has 5,660 COVID-19 cases, with 435 recoveries and 362 deaths. 

The period of extended enhanced community quarantine is set to be lifted by midnight of May 1.

/MUF