House probe sought for 'the world's worst airport'

Friday, October 21, 2011

THE Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) needs to explain to the travelling public how the terminal fees are being used, lawmakers said, after Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 recently earned the "world's worst" label.

According to non-government organization Tourism Educators and Movers of the Philippines (Team Philippines), NAIA earns around P8.5 billion in terminal fees each year. Passengers taking domestic flights pay P200 while those flying out of the country are charged P750.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

The NAIA Terminal 1 was recently tagged as the worst airport in the world by "The Guide to Sleeping in Airports" website. It previously ranked fifth.

The website stated that Terminal 1 is in bad shape, overcrowded, and has unfriendly staff. It also claimed airport workers took bribes and were corrupt.

"Forget about sleeping in this airport! You will not want to even close your eyes here! Bribery and theft exists. Airport taxes are collected, but the money does not seem to go towards the betterment of the airport," the travel blog stated.

This prompted Bayan Muna Representative Teddy Casiño to file House Resolution 1836 directing the House Committee on Transportation to conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, on the problems besetting the NAIA.

"This is just the latest of repeated complaints and comments on the defects of NAIA and mismanagement of the Manila International Airport Authority. Despite recurring criticism, the government, for the last several administrations, had apparently failed to address said problems," the party-list lawmaker said.

Jose Angel Honrado, general manager of the MIAA, said the "world's worst" label is unfair.

Meanwhile, Department of Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel "Mar" Roxas II said the government is planning to sell the NAIA and transfer the international airline operations to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark, Pampanga.

However, Casiño said that before the government pursues its plan, Congress should first investigate the current state of the country's airports and how it is being run.

Cavite Representative Lani Mercado-Revilla, who earlier filed a House resolution to investigate the state of NAIA in connection with the revenues collected from the terminal fees, said the government cannot expect the number of tourists to increase if it will not address the problems in airports.

"The recent 2011 list of the travel website, The Guide to Sleeping in Airports, is something that the Aquino admin should take seriously considering that the airport bears the name of our national hero, Ninoy Aquino," she told Sun.Star in a text message. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)