‘… what do they know about NAIA being one of the worst in the world when going in and out is always a breeze for the well-connected?’
TWO news items on social media caught my eye lately.
The first was the viral video that showed how a Thai passenger was divested of around P8,000 in Japanese currency while passing his personal effects through security X-ray. The video was taken by a fellow Thai traveler, and led to the return of the funds. Per the Department of Transportation, the personnel involved have been fired from their jobs.
The second was a news report of a Filipino passenger and his companions missing their flight because they had to wait for over an hour to get through Immigration prior to departure. The news report described NAIA as one of the worst in the world, and any traveler (local or foreign) will be able to attest that the description is no exaggeration.
The crown rests easy on NAIA’s head.
Why does NAIA rank so highly among the worst in my list?
Well, for one, there is the issue of insufficient runways. The fact that we only really have one main runway that cuts from SLEX towards Manila Bay is the reason why so many flights get delayed. This has been the case for more than half a century now and it has not been resolved and never will be — until we get a new airport in Cavite or Bulacan.
Till then, suffer the delays.
Second, the bright boys who designed the airport complex on a piecemeal basis never thought of incorporating a system of inter-terminal transport. To get from one terminal to another is a horror story.
It is also a horror story to get to any of the terminals, whether you have a private vehicle or need to rely on public transport.
Why the LRT along Taft Ave. was not connected to the airport saddens me. It could have been one major plus for air travelers needing to get into or out of the city. As for the traffic around the airport, especially Terminal 3, that’s another issue altogether.
And then there’s the problem of not having enough Immigration counters fully manned at Terminals 1 and 3 where the bulk of passengers pass through going out of the country or coming in.
Very obviously, the best way to avoid the horrors that vehicular traffic and immigration area foot traffic can cause is to check in way ahead of time — assuming the airline counters are open early. Check in three hours before your flight, earlier if you can. and then be satisfied with the waiting areas at our airports. Because that’s the only way we can survive this crazy situation that never seems to get improved despite all the foreign travels our leaders take from which one hopes they could learn a thing or two.
Then again, VIPs don’t go through the hassle we mere mortals do, yes? So, what do they know about NAIA being one of the worst in the world when going in and out is always a breeze for the well-connected?
