Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 19) — The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said Tuesday it has implemented measures to ensure a smooth travel experience and prevent another system glitch as passengers swarm the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) this holiday season.
“So far, based on the programs that we’ve implemented, we think that we are ready for this surge,” MIAA officer-in-charge Bryan Co told CNN Philippines’ The Source.
He said airport authorities met with the different stakeholders and government agencies early December to prepare for the expected influx of passengers.
Part of the measures being implemented is making sure airlines have enough aircraft and personnel, he said. Agencies like the Bureau of Immigration, and Office for Transportation Security are also working with the MIAA to improve efficiency at the airport, he added.
Co said the terminal rationalization program has also allowed them to focus deployment of customs, immigration, and quarantine resources to Terminals 1 and 3.
Immigration booths specifically in Terminal 3 have been increased to 43 from 26, he added.
Co said efforts were also implemented to avoid another glitch at NAIA just like what was experienced on January 1 this year that affected hundreds of flights and thousands of passengers.
“Based on the discussions with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, they have implemented a lot of changes and improvements in terms of the air traffic management system that had an issue,” he said. “The necessary improvements and redundancies have been put in place.”
Co said the recent series of scheduled maintenance activities allowed them to upgrade different equipment like power generators, circuit breakers, and transformers.
The official said they have so far recorded around 140,000 passengers per day, which is expected to increase to as much as 150,000 as Christmas Day and New Year’s Day approach.
Co said the on-time performance of aircraft has been averaging 80% in the past three months, which is within acceptable international standards. This means that four out of five flights are leaving or arriving within 15 minutes, he explained.
He said they hope to sustain or even increase this level to 85%.
As the peak of the holiday season nears, Co reminded air travellers to accomplish what they can online to shorten the time of having to line up. Those that can be done via digital channels ahead of time include paying the travel tax and filling out the e-travel form.
