What is the basis for Danang airport to collect priority lane fees?

Da Nang International Airport (CHK) announced that it will collect priority lane service fees from January 1, 2025. If implemented, this will be the first airport in the country to collect this service fee. There are currently many questions about the above announcement.

From January 1, 2025, Danang International Airport will start implementing priority lane service. The service fee is 100,000 VND/person, applied to both domestic and international passengers. Children under 2 years old are free, children from 2-12 years old get a 50% discount.

Airlines respond

Immediately after Danang Airport announced the collection of the above service fee, Vietjet Aviation Joint Stock Company (Vietjet) sent a written exchange.

Da Nang International Airport will collect priority lane service fees from January 1, 2025. (Photo: DB).

Accordingly, Vietjet said that according to Circular 53/2019/TT-BGTV, items related to fees, taxes and service prices for passengers are items regulated by the State. And passengers have fulfilled their tax and service price obligations for the flight when purchasing air tickets.

According to Vietjet, passengers have fulfilled their obligation to pay for aviation security services, so requiring passengers to pay extra for priority lane services on the airport's existing infrastructure is "against the regulations on price, fee, and tax stabilization".

Bamboo Airways also cited Clause 3, Article 12 of the same circular and stated that: Da Nang Airport's unilateral collection of additional service fees for some passengers using priority lanes (usually passengers with C-class tickets) will make the service price higher, not in accordance with the State's regulations.

Explaining this, Danang International Airport said: Priority aisle service is a non-aviation service, not included in the aviation service system issued by the State.

Accordingly, Decree 05/2021 of the Government on management and exploitation of airports and CHKs stipulates that this work is organized and implemented by CHK enterprises, without affecting other service chains.

"To deploy the service, Da Nang International Airport has reported to competent State management agencies such as the Ministry of Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, and the Central Airports Authority," said Da Nang International Airport.

Danang Airport: If you want to use the priority lane, you have to pay extra fee

According to Da Nang International Airport, the PSSC service according to Circular 53/2019/TT-BGTVT does not include providing priority lanes at security screening points. However, up to now, Da Nang International Airport has allowed some priority passengers of airlines (usually business class passengers) to use priority lanes at the terminal security checkpoints and does not charge for priority lane services.

However, according to Danang Airport, in reality, airlines and their agents still sell services and charge passengers for Fast track services (fast service) from 100 - 900 thousand VND/passenger). This leads to overloading of priority lanes serving social policy priority subjects (elderly, children, disabled people, pregnant women, etc.).

Therefore, it is reasonable and within the port's authority for CHK to "recall" this long-time free service and charge a fee.

Mr. Phan Kieu Hung, Director of Da Nang International Airport, said that the airport will support airlines to use priority lanes until February 28, 2025, with the goodwill to support airlines because they have issued tickets for business class passengers before.

From March 1, 2025, airlines or passengers who want to use priority lanes must purchase a service fee.

According to Lawyer Thanh Tra (FDVN Law Firm, Da Nang City Bar Association), the priority lane toll collection service is not specifically regulated as an aviation security service (Decree 92/2015/ND-CP dated October 13, 2015 of the Government) but is a non-aviation service, provided in accordance with the provisions of Article 70 of Decree 05/2021/ND-CP dated January 25, 2021.

Currently, the law does not prohibit non-aviation services in areas where airport services are permitted. If airlines and service businesses conduct business activities, pay taxes in accordance with the law, ensure aviation security, do not obstruct flight security activities and cause harm, then business is normal.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/cang-hang-khong-da-nang-can-cu-vao-dau-de-thu-phi-loi-di-uu-tien-192241205150739591.htm