MANILA, Philippines - Passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 are being promised seamless immigration processing once the area is expanded to hold additional officers’ booths in two weeks.
The arrival immigration area will have two more sets of booths that will house four immigration officers, to augment the existing 10 sets. Once this is done, a total of 24 immigration officers will be manning the arrival area, to ease congestion at peak hours.
Dante Basanta, NAIA terminal 1 manager, said airport management has been focusing on structural works, and basic amenities and comforts of people in renovating the 30-year old terminal.
According to him, immigration at the departure area will also be expanded within the month with the planned removal of banks located at the entrance of the immigration departure area. This will free up more space for departing passengers at the airline check-in counter and the immigration departure areas.
NAIA 1 is being refurbished to keep up with the demand; it has already exceeded its load capacity of 10 million passengers yearly.
Most of the 28 foreign airlines at Terminal 1 have expressed their intention to stay put. They are reluctant to transfer to the Terminal 3 until all legal and associated problems are properly addressed.
Currently, only Cebu Pacific, AirphilExpress, and All Nippon Airways use Terminal 3 as their hub, while Cathay Pacific and Emirates earlier signified their intention to transfer.
“The Terminal 1 upgrade covers not only repairs and installation of new toilet facilities, water supply and carpeting, but also improvements of aesthetics to be on a par with other airports in Asia,” Basanta said.
He said Terminal 1’s arrival area has been completely refurbished, with its walls and ceiling sporting a new look of a metal finish.
The government set aside P1 billion for NAIA 1. The improvement includes structural work, aesthetic/interior designs and the construction of a rapid exit taxiway (RET) that will relieve runway congestion and cut delays of aircraft queuing for take-off and touchdown for incoming flights.
MIAA General Manager Jose Angel Honrado had asked the public to be patient since the renovation of Terminal 1 is going on, despite the continued operation of the airport.
source: interaksyon.com
