PASAY CITY, 6 April 2023 – All is well at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) since Day 1 of “OPLAN Biyaheng Ayos: Semana Santa 2023.”
As of April 5, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has recorded a total of 583,007 passengers across all terminals and an aggregate of 3,675 commercial flights since April 1. Airline On-Time-Performance (OTP) showed marked improvement resulting to the continuous flow of passengers in the four terminals.
“Our high OTP ratings indicate that flights depart from and arrive at NAIA on time. This demonstrates that we are able to prevent passenger crowding at the airport due to the continuous dispatch, departure, and arrival of flights. Queuing also has become manageable,” MIAA General Manager Cesar Chiong said, citing the OTP ratings from Apr. 1 to 5 of 70.21%, 86.60%, 91.67%, 87.07%, and 81.53%, respectively.
“This is the result of our collaboration with the airlines, ground handlers, and the various government agencies working at NAIA, such as the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the Office for Transportation Security (OTS), among others,” Chiong added.
In an inspection by Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista on April 4, he expressed confidence over MIAA's preparations for the Lenten rush.
“Makikita natin na maaliwalas ‘yung ating mga terminals. Maayos ‘yung flow ng traffic and makikita mo ‘yung mga employees ng MIAA are all over the place. Ganoon din ‘yung mga officers and employees nung mga airlines. So, mabuti naman na ‘yung coordination ng NAIA, ng other agencies, katulad ng OTS, at mga airlines ay talaga namang nagwo-work, and kailangan ipagpatuloy natin ito,” Sec. Bautista said.
“MIAA and its management have really prepared for (the influx). They have people to assist, to see to it that when there are questions from passengers, this will be addressed. When there are issues, these will be taken care of. That’s an assurance that GM Chiong has given to us, especially to the Department of Transportation," he added.
The Transportation Secretary was also pleased with the Filipino-themed interiors in NAIA Terminal 2. He personally thanked Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Frasco, who was also in Terminal 2 to check on the new installations, such being a part of the airport enhancement convergence program of DOT-DOTr.
“Sana naman po, sa pamamagitan ng mga improvements na ito, mabigyan ng reminder ‘yung ating mga kababayang Pilipino of how good it is to be a Filipino, to live in a country that is not only beautiful but also populated by very talented Filipino artisans. The effort is to give tourists and travelers alike a reminder of how beautiful our country is, and how talented the Filipino workers are," Sec. Frasco explained.
Meanwhile, Chiong anticipates a surge of arriving passengers on Easter Sunday and Monday, April 10. 1.2M passengers are expected over the long Lenten break.
“We are glad that Secretary Bautista took notice of our readiness for this period. We are all hands on deck all the time to ensure unhampered movement of passengers and flights in NAIA,” the airport chief said.