Probe of airport delays sought
A PHILIPPINE senator has filed a resolution that seeks to investigate long passenger lines and malfunctioning electronic gates at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), which is ranked as one of the world’s worst airports.
“There is a necessity to evaluate the current situation and operational improvement and ensure that international aviation standards are complied with,” Senator Rafael “Raffy” T. Tulfo said in Senate Resolution No. 1069, which was filed on Monday.
He cited reports of airport e-gate scanners for arriving passengers failing to read passports and boarding passes, and escalators that often malfunction.
NAIA ranked 199th out of 239 airports from 69 countries in the 2024 global airport ranking report released by flight compensation company AirHelp.
The Philippine Institute for Development Studies in a study last year said the airport suffered from both passenger and runway congestion.
In a separate statement, Mr. Tulfo urged the Tourism department to set up more airport information booths to address flight and travel concerns.
“Passengers are the ones carrying the burden of inconvenience, as they had to spend extra money to re-book their tickets and stay extra hours at the airport lobby, even when they are not the ones at fault.”
The agency last month said it wants to increase passenger service fees at NAIA to P390 from P200 for domestic travelers, and to P950 from P550 for foreign travelers. — John Victor D. Ordoñez