T HE Franco-Malaysian managers of Phnom Penh International Airport have bowed to airline complaints and postponed plans to more than double landing and parking fees.

The Civil Aviation Authority was expected to meet with officials from Cambodian Airport Management Services (CAMS) to "adjust" the plan in raising fees.

Local press reported that the planned price hikes had been postponed while a report on the negotiations would soon be discussed at the "highest levels."

CAMS's plan would have raised the cost of landing an Airbus-class plane at Pochentong airport to $537 from $257, or about $200 higher than the rate charged in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Burma and Malaysia.

Parking fees were to increase from $25.70 an hour with three hours free to $53.76 an hour with only one more hour gratis, and again this compared unfavorably with other regional airports.

At least one foreign airline refused to agree to the hikes while an airline operations committee, including representatives from Malaysia Airlines, Thai International, DragonAir of Hong Kong and Singapore's Silk Air complained to the government.

CAMS wants to use fees from airlines and passengers to fund renovation of the airport by its parent company, which earlier this year won a build-operate-transfer contract for Pochentong.

It postponed plans to unilaterally double the passenger departure fee in the face of a barrage of protests from travel agents last month.