Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez inspected facilities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Saturday night, as the agency ramps up preparations for the expected surge in passenger traffic during the upcoming holiday season.
The visit was focused on promoting digitalization and enhancing comfort, convenience, and safety for all passengers utilizing the nation’s main gateway.
Lopez emphasized that the agency is pushing for greater digitalization at the airport in coordination with the New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) to streamline the travel experience.
As part of these efforts, self-check-in and bag drop counters are already operational at the departure area, contributing to faster and more convenient processing. Further digital advancements are slated for launch in the second week of December with the deployment of new e-gates.
These automated gates are equipped with facial recognition and passport scanning technology, which are projected to significantly shorten immigration queues for both regular travelers and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) at the arrival area, while simultaneously improving security and verifying passenger credentials.
In addition to digital enhancements, Lopez also highlighted improvements to passenger amenities.
He noted the opening of the newly constructed Tambayan Food Hall and the adjacent Departure Food Village in the NAIA Terminal 3 departure area.
The Tambayan Food Hall offers a 2,500-seat capacity, hosting various food concessionaires, including Halal-certified options, while the Food Village adds another 500 seats.
Both facilities are set to open on December 8 and feature free WiFi, offering passengers, employees, and airport users more dining options in a spacious and well-lit environment.
The DOTr noted that NNIC President and San Miguel Corp. CEO Ramon Ang previously reported that the corporation remitted approximately P57 billion to the national government during its first year of privatized operations at the NAIA.
The public-private partnership for the airport’s redevelopment has previously drawn allegations of irregularities from the workers’ group Pagkakaisa ng mga Users, Stakeholders at Obrero ng Naia (PUSO ng Naia), claims which were denied by both the transportation agency and the private operator.