Getting people to airport on time, at least during Holy Week

It’s not a problem peculiar to Holy Week, but every single day.

But airport authorities are coordinating with local government units and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to somehow decongest the roads leading to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) terminals at least in the next seven days.

Heavy traffic, according to Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Jose Angel Honrado, was among his agency’s primary concerns for the anticipated influx of people at the Naia during Holy Week.

“We have three concerns: how to get people to the airport; how to process people within the airport; and how to prevent flight delays and cancellations,” Honrado told the Inquirer.

While there are fewer passengers compared to the Christmas holidays, there are still a lot of people flying to the usual beach destinations for the Holy Week, he said.

Beaches

“Boracay, Cebu, the beaches. Those are the usual destinations,” he said.

The  MIAA is coordinating with the local governments, particularly of Pasay and Parañaque cities, as well as the MMDA, to “try and figure out how to ease the traffic in the vicinity of the airport.”

“What we are up against here is metropolitan traffic which is really a problem,” Honrado said, adding that for the traffic management of vehicles and people within the Naia Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4, the MIAA would be tapping the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group and the Department of Transportation and Communications’ Office of Transport Security.

“But the most important thing also is our coordination with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and airlines in order to ensure that there will be fewer delays and fewer cancellations of flights,” he said.

Honrado explained that the “first wave” flights, or the airlines’ incoming or outgoing flights for the first hour of the day, are vital. “If your first hour is delayed, the entire schedule of flights is already ruined,” he said.

He said that to avoid missing their flights, passengers should confirm their bookings and verify the date and time of departure as well as the Naia terminal they will be flying from.

“In going to the airport let’s not tell ourselves, ‘it is still too early.’ The traffic is really unpredictable.  It is really important to allocate at least two hours for travel time to the Naia.  If you have some X-number of hours available, use it to go the airport,” he said.

Likewise to avoid undue delay during security screening at the airport, Honrado said, “Do not bring anything that is prohibited.” These include weapons or objects with bladed or sharp edges, flammable and explosive materials, as well as ammunition.

Liquids

Based on MIAA regulations, passengers are allowed to place liquids, aerosols and gels in 100-ml containers or smaller in their carry-on baggages as long as they are placed in transparent resealable or ziplock plastic bags.

Bottles larger than 100 ml need to be placed in the passenger’s checked-in luggage or left behind. Beverages, shampoo, sun tan lotions, creams, toothpastes, or hair gels of any size bought by passengers at the Duty Free and other stores after the final screening checkpoint will be allowed on flights.

Bottles of medicine, including supplements, infant formula and baby food are subject to further verification at the security checkpoint.