The Schedule and Terminal Assignment Rationalization program of the Manila International Airport Authority is having a favorable effect on travelers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The program maximizes the use of the four NAIA terminals starting December 2022 with terminal reassignments for a few airlines. NAIA Terminal 2 has been set aside entirely for domestic flights, in contrast to NAIA Terminal 4, which only accommodates turboprop aircraft. Only NAIA Terminals 1 and 3 are now used to process international flights.
MIAA officer-in-charge Bryan Co said that in places like NAIA Terminal 1, where all of Philippine Airlines’ international flights are now listed as serving foreign destinations, passengers have confirmed the convenience and comfort they have felt as a result of the changes.
The relocation of Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine employees needed for international flights from NAIA Terminal 2 to NAIA Terminals 1 and 3 resulted in a reduction in wait times.
MIAA is now able to increase NAIA Terminal 2’s capacity from 7.5 million to 10 million passengers annually while exclusively serving PAL, AirAsia and Royal Air’s domestic flights as a result of the removal of CIQ infrastructure, including counters and x-ray machines.
A senior citizen who was waiting to board her PAL flight PR 2671 to Calbayog shared, “Mas naging accessible, easier to find, and less traffic because of the Skyway (and NAIA Motorway) coming here. Napaka-spacious ng Terminal 2. Mas naging advantageous sa mga senior ones na kamukha ko.”
Passengers can now choose from a broader variety of restaurants and retail establishments at NAIA Terminal 3, the largest of the four terminals and home to international airlines, as well as Cebu Pacific’s domestic operations. They also have more time to shop duty-free.
With NAIA Terminal 4 now serving purely turboprop flights for Cebgo, AirSWIFT Airlines Philippines, and Sunlight Air, domestic passengers also experienced more streamlined departure and arrival procedures.
A passenger who booked Cebgo flight DG 6619 to Naga shared, “The last time I traveled to Davao using the old airport, there were a lot of people. Now, it took me around two to three minutes, and I’m here. It’s so fast. It’s probably been around six years since the last time I used the domestic airport. It’s improved by about 50 percent, and there are a lot of stores. I haven’t experienced any trouble coming in. I’d probably rate it at 10.”