Newly designated Manila International Airport Authority general manager Eddie Villanueva Monreal on Friday presented to the press his agency’s three-pronged agenda aimed at improving the services at the country’s premier airport.
Monreal, who was country manager for Cathay Pacific with years of experience in airline operations management, said proposed projects that will revitalize the Ninoy Aquino International Airport would cover service, safety and security, and decongestion of the four terminals.
The MIAA is planning to open up the Naia terminals to regular or white taxis starting June 18 to give arriving passengers an alternative mode of transportation and do away with long lines at the arrival curbside taxi bays.
Monreal noted that the previous MIAA management did well to introduce accredited buses and allow Grabcar services at the airport.
“But we must ensure passenger safety, before allowing white taxis to pick up passengers from the Naia terminals and make sure the drivers of regular taxis must strictly adhere to rules that the MIAA will impose,”he said.
To make the life of passengers easier, the Department of Transportation has inked an agreement with airline firms to make sure that Naia comfort rooms are kept clean and well maintained.
“Employees must also always be courteous to passengers and serve them with a smile,” Monreal pointed out.
To maintain safety and security, the MIAA plans to add more personnel from the Airport Police Department in all the security screening checkpoints at the Naia terminals. There are now only 700 security screening officers from the Office for Transportation Security assigned in the four terminals to handle thousands of people.
Monreal said the installation of a closed circuit TV system with high-resolution cameras in all areas at the Naia will also be prioritized to avoid security blind spots.
The reactivation of the airport security center, a central desk connecting all agencies designed to provide immediate response to passenger complaints and concerns, is also in the works.
To decongest the Naia, Monreal disclosed, the MIAA, with the help of the different airline companies, the Civil Aviation Board and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, is coming up with a system that would greatly minimize flight delays that usually cause crowding at the terminals.
He invited public feedback to identify areas where the Naia needed improvement and urged the media to expose illegal activities and other malpractices at the airport.