As if vehicular traffic on Metro Manila’s roads is not enough, airline passengers have to weave through a sea of send-off entourages right inside the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).
The Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) is looking to free up the airport’s departure area for passengers so they do not run the risk of missing their flights.
In a statement, Miaa General Manager Jose Angel Honrado said the new scheme for the flow of passenger traffic inside the Naia Terminal 3 aimed to decongest the departure area of nonpassengers.
“Passenger movement has been a recent concern in the terminal following a slight increase of passengers due to the summer season,” Honrado said.
According to the Miaa general manager, the volume of passengers at the Naia 3 has posted a steady growth monthly since the onset of summer. From February’s 669,433 departures, there were 782,134 passengers in March and over 840,000 the following month.
“With the new scheme, passengers will have more space. Queues leading to the counters will be reserved for them,” he said.
Honrado said under the scheme, five of six entrances at the Naia 3 departure area would be reserved solely for passengers, who must present their travel documents and tickets upon entry.
The sixth entrance, he said, would be for nonpassengers or send-off brigade members.
These people, Honrado said, would then be restricted to the perimeter of the check-in hall so passengers could freely move around the departure area.
The Miaa head said the scheme would effectively segregate departures from nonpassengers. “Passengers can be assured of getting to the check-in counters promptly,” Honrado said, citing some incidents where passengers missed their flights because they were stuck in long queues.
Even with the new scheme, Honrado said passengers and their send-off entourages could still get together before boarding at the fourth floor where the shops and restaurants were located.
He said the fourth floor remained a common area for both passengers and nonpassengers. RC