PASSENGERS bound for domestic destinations on Monday started to flock to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 3 as airport authorities are expecting the heavies volume of passengers on Wednesday.
Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista, together with Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) general manager Eric Ines, inspected the domestic terminal and received feedback from some domestic passengers who noted improvements like the smooth long lines at the airline check-in counters, clean restrooms and most of all, the On-Time Performance of the airlines. They noted how the “long waiting hours” during inspection had been shortened as a result.
Bautista and Ines saw to it that the Malasakit Help desk is in place as they proceeded to the Cebu Pacific airline check-in counters to see to the smooth flow of passengers, the operations of the x-ray scanning machines, and the lounge of Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions Inc. (PAGSS), boarding gates, rest rooms and walkalator.
The inspection is part of the Oplan Biyaheng Ayos; Semana Santa 2024.
“The comfort rooms are all working, the overall experience of passengers at Naia Terminal 3 is good; that is what they [passengers] told me” during the inspection, Bautista said.
He said the airlines and Miaamust fully coordinate to lessen the cancellations of flights for the comfort of the air riding public.
Bautista mentioned the surot (bedbugs) and rats that were captured in social media. He said those are isolated cases and will only destroy the image of our country sa tamang paglilinis lang mawawala ang mga iyan.
Miaa is expecting an influx of over 1 million passengers who are gearing up for the coming Holy Week with “OPLAN Biyaheng Ayos”: as they prepare the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminals from March 24 to March 31, 2024.
Miaa General Manager Eric Ines anticipates a 15-percent increase in passenger volume during this year’s Semana Santa compared to the 926,755 passengers that passed through NAIA from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday last year.
Ines said that before the pandemic, Naia Terminals had recorded some 1.1 million passengers (arrival and departure, international and domestic) for only eight days, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. Now, in 2024, “we are expecting more than 1.1 million from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.”
Miaa disclosed that in the first 14 days of March 2024 alone, passenger numbers have reached 1,853,132, ranging from 128,000 to 138,000, with a daily average of 132,367. For this year’s Holy Week, passenger traffic could reach 140,000 on a single day, or close to the prepandemic Lenten season, which recorded 1,126,501 passengers over eight days, averaging 140,812 daily.
“Our domestic operations, in particular, have been consistently surpassing prepandemic flight movement and passenger volume. We anticipate travelers taking advantage of exploring local destinations, the ease and convenience of air travel, summer airline promotions, or simply vacationing and being with family during this time,” Ines said.
He ensures adequate manpower, equipment, and optimal working conditions for amenities and key facilities, including critical airport utilities and backup systems.
MIAA also assigned key officials to oversee these help desks within all terminals, while the management group will observe a “no leave policy” during these days.
Ines reminds departing passengers to allow at least 3 hours’ allowance for arriving at the airport for international travel; and two hours for domestic, so as not to miss their flight.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes