It’s
not amusing anymore
‘Unless
that happens and soon, we can’t blame anybody for the unenviable
opprobrium directed our way.’
The
premier airport named after Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. has
again gained a notoriety of sorts by being voted Asia’s worst this
year in a survey by an interactive website. At least it’s an
improvement of sorts because last year, it was voted the world’s
least favored airport.
Horror
tales told by the less affluent (and probably less influential) users
of the airport are many. One of the favorites, according to sleeping
in airports.com
was
that of a passenger who complained to airport police that she lost
her mobile phone to she thieves. For her pains all she got was a
lecture to look after her belongings as thieves were operating in the
airport.
The
website also heard of complaints of airport employees pilfering
jewelry from bags while not allowing passengers near their belongings
as well as a concession stand at the gates selling reused bottles of
water with broken seals.
All
these made up the naming of the country’s first international
airport was the world’s worst in 2011 due to safety concerns, lack
of comfortable seating, rude staff, hostile security, poor
facilities, few amenities to while away waiting time, and bribery in
exchange for a few favors?
Civil
aviation authorities have said they are seriously addressing the
persisting problems by undertaking a massive rehabilitation of the
aging international airport and have even waxed confident that the
country would regain its Category 1 status.
Well,
we are still waiting. Unless that happens and soon, we can’t blame
anybody for the unenviable opprobrium directed our way.
Asia's
worst
It’s
a bit of comfort to learn that this year, the old Terminal 1 of the
Ninoy Aquino International Airport did not retain its dubious
distinction of being voted the world’s worst airport. But this is
just because the popular travel website Sleeping in Airports noted
that “there were just too many to choose from” among the world’s
worst. So the NAIA 1 has been promoted, from the world’s worst to
just Asia’s worst - rated lower than the
airport in
Mumbai, India and in Islamabad, Pakistan.
This
year, Singapore’s Changi
International Airport was
named the region’s best, although the city-state’s low-cost
carrier terminal was ranked the fourth worst in the region. Seoul
Incheon, voted the world’s best for several years now
in airlineindustry
surveys, was ranked second best by Sleeping in Airports.
When
NAIA 1 was voted the world’s worst last year by travelers using the
website, some airport officials sniffed that the rating was the
opinion of backpackers. This denigrates a large segment of the global
travel industry, and betrays a lack of appreciation for the fact that
there are low-budget travelers who can become big spenders.
This
year the travel website acknowledged ongoing rehabilitation of the
NAIA 1 but said this was proceeding slowly. The website also advised
travelers who need to rest in transit to go instead to Terminal 2 or
3. But there are still a lot of negative points that must be
addressed at NAIA 1, which is the main terminal for almost all
carriers operating in the Philippines. These are on top of the
improvements needed to get out of the safety downgrade by the
US Federal
Aviation Administration.
The downgrade limits the US operations of Philippine carriers and is
another serious deterrent to air links between the country and Europe
and other destinations.
Criticisms
of NAIA 1 in the website are shared by Filipino travelers. Among
other things, travelers continue to complain about long lines
starting outside the terminal, requests for grease money, crowding,
poor quality transit
lounge and
restaurants, and taxi scams. The latest rating should be seen by the
government as a challenge to step up improvements in what is supposed
to be the country’s premier airport.
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