Airport Construction Fee
I don’t have the impression to pay for this fee when I was in U.S. or Singapore. Michael asked about whether it is required for departing passengers or arriving passengers. The answer is, it is for departing passengers only. You need to hold your flight tickets and the airport construction fee receipt to enter the waiting area. It is collected at all airport in China.
Fee
It is 90 RMB for international flight, 50 RMB for domestic flight and 30 RMB for branch flight (from major city to small city).
Usage
It is gathered and put into the governmental funding to improve the aviation system in China. According to this report, in China, 50% of the airport construction fee will be handed in to the central goverment and the rest 50% will be kepted by the airport.
It is reported that the Airport Construction Fee may be put into tickets so passengers don’t have to buy it at airport.
Who can void the Airport Construction Fee
According to Xinhuanews, the following passengers don’t have to pay the China Airport Construction Fee:
- International Passenger transitting in China airport. The ratio of transition passengers seem still very low currently. Shanghai, or Beijing is still far behind Tokoyo in terms of aviation hub. Not many flight transits in Shanghai or Beijing. So chances are, you are not in this category.
- Diploma passport holders taking flights to leave Mainland China.
- Children under 12 (including 12)
- Domestic transition flights with interval less than 8 hours.
Update Airport Construction Fee combined wth tickets September 3, 2004
See this article Airport Construction Fee Included in Tickets for more information about the change.
Update Airport Construction Fee continues in 2007 May 11, 2007
With all the requests from passengers to cancel the airport construction fee, it is announced that the 50 – 90 RMB construction fee will continue to be collected in 2007, making it the 16th year to collect this fee. According to this news, 30 billion RMB has been collected from this so far.
the airport fee in singapore is usually included in the airfare. the airlines collect the fee on behalf of the airport authority. i think it is about $20 or RMB90
michael
I can only recall having to pay airport tax directly in Montréal, Canada, and in Vietnam and China. As far as I can remember it’s been included in the ticket price everywhere else. In my opinion, including it in the ticket price is enormously preferrable. You *really* don’t want to spend 20 minutes finding the tax booth, finding enough currency, and so on, just before boarding your flight.
If I recall correctly, in Bangkok you used to have to buy the airport tax before leaving. Can’t remember if they have included it in the ticket or not (500 baht).
I bought 10 YUAN for a connection flight in Chen Du. The connection flight airport construction fee make it more confusion.
Bangkok airport still has the 500 baht departure tax. Attendants will show you to vending machines, just before you enter the passport control area.
From 1st July 2004,all of airport construction fee are inculded air ticket,no 1 shall pay airport fee in ACF counter after 1st July 2004!
Note:This information is for air passenger within China only!
The statement
Update Airport Construction Fee continues in 2007 May 11, 2007
With all the requests from passengers to cancel the airport construction fee, it is announced that the 50 – 90 RMB construction fee will continue to be collected in 2007, making it the 16th year to collect this fee. According to this news, 30 billion RMB has been collected from this so far.
is incorrect..I just visited Beijing last week and no such Tax exists, in fact no-one at the airport or airlines had even head of it…I asked. It was apparently discontinued as long ago as 2004. The fee was wrapped into airline ticket prices…there is no fee/tax to pay on departure from PEK airport.