Editorial

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.