Ports to file notices to charge passenger facility fees for airport project financing.

By THE STAR STAFF

The Puerto Rico Ports Authority (PRPA) is filing multiple notices of intent (NOIs) with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to impose and use passenger facility charges (PFCs) to fund infrastructure projects in several airports.  

PFCs in Puerto Rico vary by airport, but major commercial hubs currently charge the federal maximum of $4.50 per flight segment, according to the FAA. The fees are integrated into the airline ticket price and used for airport improvements such as safety, security and capacity projects. The PRPA intends to seek the $4.50 fee and will not exempt any carrier from collecting it. 

The fee will help pay for major improvements in airports such as the Rafael Hernández Airport in Aguadilla, Benjamin Rivera Noriega Airport in Culebra, Eugenio María de Hostos Airport in Mayagüez and Mercedita Airport in Ponce.  

At Rafael Hernández Airport -- one of Puerto Rico’s busiest regional airports and a major commercial and cargo hub -- PRPA is proposing to impose and use $7.125 million in PFC revenue to support three initiatives, most notably the reconstruction and relocation of Runway 8-26. 

The new 11,000-by-150-foot runway will be built south of the existing alignment and designed to accommodate large aircraft, including the Boeing 747-400. Engineering assessments conducted in 2016 rated much of the existing runway pavement as “very poor”, confirming the need for full reconstruction. 

The project will be phased to maintain continuous airport operations during construction.