In a bid to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) terminals, provincial airports will soon be equipped with a technology that would enable them to operate even at nighttime, Transportation and Communications Secretary Mar Roxas said.
Roxas, who inspected on Friday the security preparations at the Naia Terminal 3 for the expected influx of passengers during the long weekend holiday, said the government intends to install night-vision equipment in many provincial airports next year.
Domestic carriers bundle their departures during daytime so that all of them would be able to take off from their points of departure before sunset.
This, he said, has contributed to congestion and slotting problems at the Naia terminals.
“All of them are in a hurry to come back before sunset, where provincial airports stop operating due to the absence of runway lights or night-vision technology,” Roxas said, adding that the night vision capability will improve visual awareness in smoky, foggy or dark environments.
Installation of night vision capability at airports where popular tourist destinations are located would be prioritized, he added.
Spreading out flights
With the new technology, air carriers can choose other slots or schedules so that departures are spread out evenly, thus avoiding congestion.
Joseph Agustin, chief of the Manila International Airport Authority’s (MIAA) ground operations and safety division, said that apart from addressing congestion at the Manila airports, the plan to install night vision capability also means additional profit for airline operators.
“More passengers can be accommodated once more airports become night-rated,” Agustin said.
To date, he said more provincial airports are already equipped with navigational aids but are not yet “night-rated.”
These are the airports that operate from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., he said.
These airports include those in Butuan City, Legaspi, Dumaguete, Roxas, Cotabato, Dipolog, Tuguegarao, Naga, Tagbilaran and Virac.
Apart from Naia, Mactan, Davao, Clark international airports are already night-rated.
Some provincial airports like those in Iloilo, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Tacloban, Puerto Princesa, General Santos, Laoag, Zamboanga and Kalibo are already equipped with night vision technology, thus they can operate even at nighttime.
At the Naia Terminal 3 on Friday, Roxas inspected equipment and facilities, including x-ray machines and airport security checkpoints.
Roxas said airports expect a 20 percent increase in passenger volume during the holiday break.
“Normally, around 15,000 passengers a day go in and out of our terminals. But during the Undas period, we expect around 25,000 to 27,000 passengers daily,” Roxas told reporters.
Time and motion
He also cited a time and motion study that said it takes at least 30 minutes for passengers to go through security checks, fall in line at ticket booths or check-in counters, and settle at the predeparture areas before their flights.
Since passenger volume usually increases during “Undas” and other peak travel season, Roxas advised travelers to be at the bus terminals, airports and seaports at least two hours before their scheduled departure.
“It’s better for them to be early than come at the last minute to prevent unnecessary hassles,” he said.
Meanwhile, airport authorities confiscated from some passengers several items considered banned from the aircraft.
Supt. Moises Tuliao, chief of the Police Center for Aviation Security at Terminal 3, said an ammunition for an M-16 was seized from a female passenger yesterday morning.
“She claimed the ammunition was just an amulet. But I explained to her that such item is banned here at the airport,” Tuliao said.
Other items seized from departing passengers included a toy gun, party poppers, aerosol and other flammable items.