Naia readies to welcome 2.3M holiday travelers 

Composite image from Inquirer file photos

MANILA, Philippines — Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista on Saturday lauded the New Naia Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC) for implementing “incremental and tangible” changes three months after assuming management of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).

“The improvement implemented by our concessionaire is very big compared to our experience in December 2023. Traffic here in the arrival area is no longer heavy because of the additional lane. In 90 days, they constructed the additional lane, so there’s no longer heavy traffic and vehicular flow is smooth,” Bautista said.

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The secretary said passengers he spoke to were pleased with the overall changes at the airport.

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Bautista also disclosed that one of the enhancements being planned at the airport for 2025 is placing the screening machines before immigration counters.

“What we’re planning to do next year [is that] instead of immigration [processing], we’ll have baggage screening first. That’s one of the enhancements that the NNIC and [DOTr’s] Office of Transportation Security will implement,” he said.

In a separate statement, the NNIC said it was gearing up for what is expected to be the busiest holiday travel season at Naia.

NNIC said it anticipates 2.296 million passengers to pass through its terminals from Dec. 20 to Jan. 3, which is a 10.95-percent increase from the comparable period last year.

“Christmas is a time for connecting with family, friends, and loved ones. We are working hard to make the experience as safe and comfortable as possible for all passengers,” NNIC president Ramon Ang said.

Improvements implemented

Since taking over management of the Naia 90 days ago, the NNIC said it has implemented several improvements.

These include expanded curbside areas that provided additional drop-off and pick-up lanes have been added.

A centralized transport hub was also established at Terminal 3 for ride-hailing services and metered taxis.

New air-conditioning units have been installed across all terminals.

The NNIC said it also upgraded Wi-Fi services to provide free, high-speed internet access to travelers.

At Terminal 1, about 400 sets of new gang chairs were installed while at Terminal 3, 500 new trolleys have arrived as part of the 2,500 trolleys ordered for deployment this month.

The NNIC encouraged passengers to arrive at least 2.5 to 3 hours before domestic flights and 3.5 to 4 hours before international flights, and to check flight updates directly with their airline through official websites.

Passengers are also advised to pack smartly and follow carry-on baggage restrictions for faster security screening.