NAIA Cited As One of the World's Worst Airports, Terminal Fee Intergration Postponed
In an all too familiar ritual, Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has received yet another rating as one of the world's worst airports, this time according to US website Cheat Sheet.
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| Image by hybridace101 |
Cheat Sheet has cited a number of issues including airport staff being impolite to passengers and long waiting times to be processed. Complaints were also cited regarding dilapidated offerings at the airport. The report indicated that 32 million passengers are struggling to use the facility as it was originally designed for up to six million passengers.
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport was voted among the world's worst alongside Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Begamo Orio al Serio Airport, New York's La Guardia Airport, Zurich International Airport, N’Djamena International Airport in Chad, Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport, Little Rock Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, and Calcutta Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport.
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| Image source: Sleepingairports.net |
NAIA has consistently made the list of world's worst airports. It last ranked at the top of the list of the world's worst airports on the website, The Guide to Sleeping Airports in 2013. Complaints of long queues, broken toilets, and air-conditioning units, as well as dishonest taxi pricing and limited public transport options have constantly plagued the airport. Since then, officials have made calls for improvements, particularly with how the taxes and fees collected from passengers are used. For instance, Senator Ralph Recto said "If a mall charges a mere P10 for the use of a hotel-like toilet, I can't see why a Filipino travelling abroad who pays P550 in terminal fees and P1,620 in travel tax should be entitled to less."
The Manila International Airport has tried to address the problem by putting the 34-year old Terminal 1 under a massive renovation. Officials have estimated that the renovation will be completed by April 2015. In addition, five foreign carriers including Delta Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Emirates, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific have all moved to the more modern Terminal 3 over the span of the last two months in an effort to decongest Terminal 1.
Adding insult to injury is the fact that passengers still have to pay P550 (US$12.75) in terminal fees up front before proceeding to passport control. In other countries, terminal fees are collected as part of the airline ticket purchase. The MIAA was originally planning to implement this on October 1 but has deferred that plan to November 1 in consideration to passengers likely to be negatively affected by the move.
Sources: Cheat Sheet, GMA News, ABS-CBN News
The truth is that NAIA is an accurate representation of the state of infrastructure and public services in the Philippines. In fact NAIA offers generally better services than many facilities in the Philippines. Clearly those ventiing invective about the state of NAIA have not had to experience the disgrace that is Manila's public transport system, its roads
ReplyDeleteGagong ito at gawin pang tanga ang mga pinoy,nag illusion pa.for 550 pesos fee sa mabantot at mainit na terminal at mga zombie like na mga employees.hoy gising!
DeleteYou did not get his point. Please read carefully.
DeleteThe last paragraph of the article states that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and agents associated to OFWs(?) are exempted from 550 pesos airport fees? Can you clarify this once more??
DeleteAs far as I know from time immemorial, only the President of the Republic of the Philippines is exempt from airport fees, toll road fees, passport and other documentation that are official (in his capacity as president), and the like.
DeleteAnd the "journalist" who wrote this article should come out and clarify it again. Where are you now?
The truth is, the infrastructure and NAIA is adequate, just very poorly managed. Attention MIAA management: Air Conditioning and clean toilets are not optional airport items. Foreign investors won't put money here you don't take care of them at the airport. Terminal 1's pathetic renovations are already falling apart (look at the stairway down to gate 12!). Putting expensive lipstick on a pig isn't going to solve the problem. Maybe you should learn how to manage and run an airport.
ReplyDeleteCorrupt third world country. Can't expect much more.
ReplyDeleteIt is very very obvious! I wonder how those 99 million (and counting) Filipinos can wrestle with poverty brought about by corruption. Am I seeing another future Mexico-type revolution here? Let's hope not!
DeleteNo news about Emirates Airbus A380 landing on NAIA? Palibhasa'y...., never mind.
ReplyDeleteCan you show me where?
DeleteI think it you're talking about the article days before first Emirates Airbus A380 landed.
DeleteEmirates to Fly A380 to Manila
Deletegoing to NIAA is just like going to the toilet for me. just sit,take a dump ,wipe and get up
ReplyDeleteI use cebu or clark not the gigantic rest room naia
ReplyDeleteMakapagsalita mga tao dito akala mo naman hindi mga Pinoy. Kung nandidiri kayo sa NAIA eh di wag kyo dun sumakay. Walang pumipilit sa inyo.
ReplyDeleteThis forum would just want "to right the wrong".
DeleteHow can you solve common problems if you do not voice out your opinion? So take it honestly because most of the time, the facts are right. I am not Pinoy but I am also worried about the future of a beautiful country full of natural resources and natural wonders. My Pinoy friends are also the best in attitudes and true friendships; and they are very frank about anything as well.
You are not Pinoy yet you were able to understand my comment....whew. Good jon
DeletePorque estoy viviendo en el Filipinotown, Los Angeles, California y mis vecinos son Pinoys! Tienes dudas? Ay, apo ka met, ni lolac ket taga Laoag! Entendiste?
DeleteAnd for your info, there are many Asian Americans in California and other popular states who are called "quadrilingual".
DeleteI hope the world will know about NAIA's marginality so that the Philippines Government will again wake up to reality as NAIA has consistently been a top ten worst airport for a while, meaning years! Example, upon entering the terminal for check in, your luggages would be screened by airport equipment, and security police may frisk you depending on who you are or how you look like, then proceed to check in and then after you have done with your check in formalities including paying airport fees, you proceed to frisking again followed by immigration formalities. At security check, they will open your belongings (handcarry items), and then at the gate before boarding, (United Airlines to USA via Guam), for example, a phalanx of aggressive "security employees" will search and search your little bag again, (third time now) including the pockets and anything inside the handcarry bag, including pockets of soiled shirts and pants. It's not over yet! Remove your shoes including socks and be prepared for man to man and woman to woman frisking again, if you know what I mean. I find this very abrasive and aggressive as the guy (I am a guy too) who wanted to find something in my pocket just inserted his palm and fingers inside my front pocket without warning, wiggled his fingers inside to check everything and then grabbed what was inside - my U.S. passport. Man, this is uncalled for in a decent society! Then he opened all the pages of my passport glancing at "departures" and "arrivals" stamps from numerous industrialized and third world countries . Without any word, he returned it back briskly onto to my palms (never in my pocket anymore because he knew I was very upset with my looks and killing stares) and proceeded again to the next person in line. I hope the other person next was also patient and his private parts were spared. I can see that all passengers were dumbfounded, annoyed and upset. My point to this episode is, these "security people" should learn to communicate well in this kind of job because they are dealing with different cultures. I bet you, if this would have happened in the United States and Europe, I would have discussed it with my legal counsel.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the 'repeat search' on flights to places such as Australia and the USA just prior to the boarding gate is unnecessary and intrusive.
DeleteIt's another airport employment scheme. Not so long ago one of these staff looked at my toiletries bag and asked 'what's this?' I was speechless but soon said 'well what does it look like to you?' In response I received a hostile stare.
However calling NAIA one of the world's worst airports is very subjective.
In Melbourne, Australia for instance a departing international passenger must walk a few hundred metres (partly through duty free) dodging displays of cosmetics, liquor and so on. Kulala Lumpur and Hong Kong aren't any better in that regard. That's not so much the case at any of the NAIA terminals.
Clearly the decrepit T1 at NAIA is by far the worst. T3 is acceptable to me while the small T4 wins for having a very short distance to walk, even if it is basic. T2 is poor and lacks decent shops or restaurants, not that this matters much to Mabuhay Milers of Philippine Airlines who can get a bit of food (poor compared to other airport lounges overseas) in the relatively recently renovated lounge that is airside.
Yes, Virginia, there are too many airport employees in Manila! If you are not used to it, you will dread it but in a way, those employees needed employment in order to survive, that's what it's all about! As the population continues to grow faster than ever, I wonder how the Philippines would ever address this herculean and scary issue.
DeleteANY NEW ARTICLE? 1 week na kasi ito.
ReplyDelete...at napag-iiwanan na rin kayo ng iba pang Philippine aviation news website.
DeleteSo when they refer to NAIA its just T1.... Because its the main international gateway... NAIA as a whole, still lacks infrastructure to link all 4 terminals which is located far apart and the shuttle bus aren't that efficient yet. I hope if they have the service like in LAX just to ferry the passengers around the 4 terminals every 10 min would be very good esp if you have connecting fights and in a rush.
ReplyDeleteWell, at the LAX terminals, I always make it a point to walk (weather and time depending) from one terminal to the other for exercise and leave the shuttle buses for the first time visitors and seniors. Besides, walking is even faster as the traffic can be very heavy during rush hours. Also, terminals one to seven are compact in profile (doughnut shape). Just use the airport cart and push your luggage.
ReplyDeleteIn Manila, the four terminals are so distant from each other. They should plan to provide a shuttle train to serve those terminals. Learn from Newark Airport (EWR) or San Francisco (SFO) International Airport.
Another hindrance! Pasay court stops planned integration of terminal fee into airfare Why not make it an option during boooking online and if they are not compliant, there's a booth outside T1 to pay for it, not inside the terminal.
ReplyDeletemga workers sa terminal 2 mga corroupt.
ReplyDeletepasakay kami nang elevator nang family ko pagkatapus may isang workers na nag hihintay sa elevator akala namin tutulungan lang kami makaakyat bigla nlng kinuha ang cart ko pagkatapus pinapaiwan ko ung personal at hand carry ko para ung dalawang box na i checheck in lang ang dadalhin ko muna para balikan ko nalng pag malapit na ako
mag flight ayaw ipaiwan nang nagpuoush nang cart ang sabi kailangan daw. pagkataps d sinabi na kailangan bayaran lahat nung nasa cart 50 pesos each 2 check in at 2 hand carry. pagkatapus sabi nya wala na daw akong babyaran sa loob. pagkadating sa loob pagakatpus namin e check in ung mga bagahe ko nag bayad ako nang 550 fee . pagkatapus noong palabas na kami nang airport kinukuhanan nya ako nang per binibigyan ko nang 100 pesos ayaw nya ang sabi nya madami daw syang ginawa ay wala nmn sya ginawa kung hindi e push lng ung cart at ayaw pa nya ibigay sakin ung cart na nandoon ung hand cary tas dinagdagan ko naging 200 ayaw paren hanggang sa naging 40o. mga putang inang mukhang pera nakuhanan ako nang 1150 para lang sa pag pupush nung cart mga gago may araw den kau
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ReplyDelete