DOTr plans to reduce security checks at NAIA — Bautista

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is planning to reduce the number of security checks that passengers go through at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

“What we plan to do is to reduce the [security] checks,” Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said in an interview with CNN Philippines on Tuesday.

The Transportation chief said that currently passengers undergo four security checks, especially those who have flights to the United States.

He said the DOTr together with the US Transport Security Administration are conducting tests to reduce security checks.

“What we plan to do when we transfer the flight to Terminal 1 is to reduce this at least by one. In the meantime, we will not be able to reduce it by two. But the plan is to reduce it by one. If the TSA (Transport Security Administration) will be happy with the result of the test, we can reduce it to two,” Bautista said.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) on Saturday announced terminal reassignments of two major local airlines in a bid to decongest NAIA terminals.

Starting December 1, Philippine Airlines (PAL) flights to and from the United States, Canada, the Middle East, and Bali (Denpasar) will transfer to NAIA Terminal 1 from NAIA Terminal 2.

However, PAL flights to other international and domestic destinations will remain in NAIA Terminal 2.

Meanwhile, Air Asia flights to and from Cebu and Caticlan will also be transferred from NAIA Terminal 4 to NAIA Terminal 3 beginning December 16.

“In Terminal 4, there are only like a little over 500 seats. When there is a delay of two or three flights, there’s really congestion,” Bautista said.

“Terminal 1 has unused capacity. This will improve the experience of the passengers as Terminal 2 has been very congested,” he added.

Bautista bared the plans following the recent ranking of the NAIA as the third most stressful airport in Asia and Oceania.

“[W]e take this as a challenge,” he said.—Ted Cordero/AOL, GMA Integrated News