BIZ BUZZ: Terminal reassignments soon?

New Naia Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC) earlier said that airport terminal reassignments will be done gradually and the status quo will prevail until next year.

But it seems that the new operator of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) is having a change of heart, thus the changes may happen sooner rather than later.

How soon? Possibly before the end of the year, and just when traffic at Naia will hit its traditional peak with holiday travelers further clogging the four terminals.

Biz Buzz sources say that the airlines have been howling in protest, and have appealed to NNIC to perhaps conduct further studies first before pulling the trigger on the reassignments this year.

According to the NNIC plan, terminal 2 will only service domestic flights—Cebu Pacific’s and Philippine Airlines’—while terminal 3 will host all foreign airlines as well as the international flights of Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines.

Terminal 1 will be used exclusively by PAL for its international flights while terminal 4 will service all domestic flights of AirAsia.

NNIC had said that these movements were necessary to improve the efficiency of runway use, thus allowing the airport to accommodate more flights and service more passengers.

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The airlines have a contrary view, however, saying that NNIC should determine first if any reshuffling will indeed lead to a better flow of traffic and optimize operations at the country’s congested gateway to better serve the flying public.

Negotiations are ongoing and time will tell if the NNIC will heed their request or decide to immediately execute the terminal reassignments.

Whatever the decision, the public can only hope that it will ultimately lead to more benefits for them, rather than more misery.