Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan advised all departing passengers using the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) terminals 1 and 2 to check-in earlier because the airline counters will be closed 20 minutes before the scheduled flights.

Last week, Libanan advised departing passengers to be at the Immigration booth not later than 45 minutes or passengers would be denied processing of their passports.

However, air carriers objected to the 45-minute time and suggested instead to reduce it to 20 minutes to discourage passengers against dawdling in the airport lounges and proceed immediately to the Immigration counters so as to make it in time for departures.

The directive to check in 20 minutes before the flight is in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization standards in the processing of departing passengers in all international airports.

Libanan, in a memorandum, said the enforcement of 20-minute deadline was a result of a dialogue and consensus reached between the BI, airlines carriers, Naia management and various stakeholders at the airport.

 “The 45-minute advisory was intended to spread the work load of Immigration personnel,” Ferdinand Sampol also said, adding that they have reduced the processing time to 20 minutes by increasing the number of personnel to man the 10 booths at the departure zone.

He said the new arrangement would make it possible to process passengers by 45 seconds at each Immigration counter.

“We have given immediate attention to cutting down the processing time and the deployment of more personnel, and have succeeded to make BI operations at the Naia more comfortable to passengers while keeping the integrity of its security system,” according to Libanan.

Sampol said the previous lack of coordination among Naia officials and airport stakeholders is a big cause of discomfort to passengers, saying that they have identified the problem and came with the right solutions.

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Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan advised all departing passengers using the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) terminals 1 and 2 to check-in earlier because the airline counters will be closed 20 minutes before the scheduled flights.

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