What do you think of a website's classification of NAIA1 as one of the 'world's worst airports'?

Arlene Go, Manila: NAIA1 is the world’s no.1 worst airport. Walang kainan, old lounges, sira ang mga CR, expired/overpriced duty-free items, at iisa lang ang runway for all three terminals.

Jelly Gandeza, Metro Manila: Bakit naman? Dahil ba maraming nakakalusot na drug smuggling syndicate?

I agree

Miguelito Herrera, Cabanatuan City: It doesn’t surprise me. Our international airport is truly deserving of being tagged as the worst, no matter how you look at it. Our NAIA1 continues to deteriorate. It will never be classified as one of the best.

Carmela Ramento, Cagayan de Oro City: That’s quite understandable for an international airport where people of all sizes, colors, tongues come and go at all hours. It’s remarkable that we did not earn first place.

I like NAIA 1

Ignacio Anacta, Metro Manila: With the demands of my job, I had been to so many international airports in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, and I still find our NAIA 1 more comfortable, practically designed, and simple but operationally functional.

Anomalous

David Devera Aman, Manila: Nandyan ang mga kotong na taga-Immigration at Customs.

Johann Lucas, Quezon City: Definitely. Everywhere, everyone asks for bribes. The amount of corruption and bribery at NAIA1 is just mind-blowing. The P-Noy administration should hire a bulldozer and a ramming team and start tearing it apart.

Nescel Panes, Passi City, Iloilo: What I notice are the irregularities and inconsistencies of airport workers in their service towards their clientele. Filipinos are already accustomed to receiving tips for a service rendered and “pasalubong” when OFWs arrive. This is practiced inside the airport. In addition, biases and judgmental comments are displayed to our “kababayans” coming from Japan, Middle East, and some Asian countries. There are also hidden activities inside the airport. You have to see it for yourself.

Mabuhay smiles

Ishmael Calata, Parañaque City: Based on the newly-built and renovated international airports in Asia, NAIA1 trails behind in design and other structural bases of comparison. However, it is too much an aspersion to our country that said website classifies the NAIA1 as one of the world’s worst. It certainly is not as big as others and not imposing in its external appearance, as the new airports are, but this decades-old structure has its own unique allure in antiquity, complemented by the smiling faces of the helpful personnel therein.

Renato Taylan, Ilocos Norte: I believe that this classification, which creates a negative impression of our country, is offset by our warm hospitality as a people.

Outdated

Adrian Catral, Quezon City: In terms of facilities, NAIA1 has been left behind in looks by almost 20 years compared to newly-constructed international airports of world-class standards. Napag-iwanan na siya ng panahon.

Lucas Banzon Madamba, Laguna: NAIA 1 is a nice airport but, sad to say, it is very crowded, plus the fact that some facilities don’t work. The government should place more emphasis on trying to improve the operational systems of the airport.

Armando Tavera, Las Piñas City: What the NAIA1 needs now is to upgrade its facilities. It now looks more of an eyesore rather than a sight to behold. A complete renovation is needed.

Jose Fabello Jr., Cagayan de Oro City: Worst? It’s only the fifth on the list. It’s undeniably a busy, busy airport in a Third World country. Of course, it definitely needs upgrading or improvement on many fronts.

Here’s why

Rose Leobrera, Manila: Our airport is not just one of the worst, it’s the worst! It’s very small, dim, and its personnel are corrupt. The carousel is so small. The restrooms stink and don’t offer amenities. Airports in Bangkok, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, and LAX in the USA are a feast to the eyes. They’re so huge, clean and neon lights give one a “Christmas feeling”. Their restrooms smell good, too. Here, even the tiles, niluma na ng panahon. So why get hurt if it’s graded the worst? That’s the truth.

Dr Francis Regalado, Manila: It just affirms the bloody hell status of our international airport. Drug trafficking, illegal trade all pass through the Philippine airport. It has mediocre facilities and personnel to boot. It’s petrifying that NAIA1 showcases the situation of the Philippine government and society. It’s low-class and filthy.

Jarjarme Rudu, Makati City: The restroom is not the only section in NAIA1 that is in a deplorable state. There are areas where the arriving crowd goes through passageways that leak when it rains. The immigration receiving area is so tiny and disorganized that it looks like a pen of tired cows. The airconditioning in heavy, crowded areas is so poor, you can smell sweat. I am Filipino, I travel frequently, and sadly, I agree with the observation. One can only hope that the airport terminal fee is put to good use.

Comparing airports

Worley Pamilaran, Metro Manila: I have not been to a lot of airports in the world, but I have to say that NAIA 1 is terrible. Even Singapore’s budget terminal is better in terms of comfort. Saigon’s new airport is nice, too.

J.R. Mondonedo Jr., Parañaque City: Well if you have been to Bangkok airport, Narita, Hong Kong, and Singapore, just to name a few, yes, I would agree that NAIA1 is one of the world’s worst airports. When I was at the HKG airport, the airport security people were very professional. When I see airport security personnel here, you can see some of them texting while working, and some of them having a few laughs over tsismis, and the guy at the information booth texting and eating. Welcome to our international airport.

Germi Sison, Cabanatuan City: I have passed through the NAIA twice only and I experienced also the services of LAX, Reno Airport, with gambling games and cigarette smoke right at the arrival and departure area, and the Busan International Airport in Korea. I cannot pinpoint the difference in facilities and equipment, as I noticed nothing particularly different, but the services and attitude of the people manning the NAIA are the worst I have encountered. Greetings were only for show, but the request for “pasalubong” and dollar tips from many staff were so annoying. I had to watch my baggage and the car that would pick me up when the baggage boys left me alone outside the arrival area, after giving them US$5 each. No wonder the NAIA1 is classified by a website as one of the world’s worst airports. I hate to say that I cannot cite any particular Filipino service in the Philippines worthy of praise. This negative finding of a website is another wake-up call for us Filipinos to be on our guard. On the other hand, I wonder what the airports in Latin America, Caribbean, Africa and in the Middle East are like.

Ed Gulmatico, Abu Dhabi: Not only now, but since 15 years back, it already qualified as one of the world’s worst airports, unlike other international airports that became world-class in terms of modernization, automation, safety, services, cleanliness, business-friendly atmosphere/ surroundings, etc. in that span of time, e.g. Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi, and even Vietnam, etc. Some Immigration Bureau personnel, with the connivance of unscrupulous airport personnel, still excel in maneuvering, extorting money 1) from outgoing passengers, especially the ones with visitor/tourist visa, 2) from overstaying and illegal foreigners with questionable exit and entry Philippine visas, along with 3) extorting money from passengers and airport visitors at every given opportunity.

How embarassing

Deo Durante, Camarines Sur: What a shameful accusation if this is true, though I don’t know the condition exactly. But an establishment or any facility like NAIA1, has already served for so long that it needs to be rehabilitated.

Change of name

Janet Lopez, Manila: The airport would indeed be world-class if a couple of letters were deleted.

Rey Onate, Palayan City: I think it is the worst airport in the world. I suggest a change of name. Since it became NAIA1, hindi umunlad. Luzon International Airport will do.

To clarify

Michele Poblete, Manila: The NAIA1 is not an airport, it is an air terminal. NAIA has three terminals, NAIA1, NAIA2, NAIA3. Although Terminal 1 is old and in dire need of renovation and upgrades, Terminal 2 is quite modern, and Terminal 3 is even more modern than many terminals in the country of that website’s owner. NAIA1 can be included in the world’s worst air terminals, but certainly not in the worst airports’ list.

Time to refurbish

Robert Young Jr., San Juan: NAIA1, formerly known as Manila International Airport, used to be one of the best in Asia when it was constructed in the ‘60s, but after five decades, it has become too small to accommodate passengers and planes flying in and out of Manila. It’s a good thing NAIA 2 and3 are there to take in over half of the passengers. It’s time to move international flights from NAIA1 to NAIA3, which is only a third utilized. Maybe a modern NAIA1 can be constructed at its site and become a Philippine showcase.

If it’s any consolation

Reynold Fulgencio, Bulacan: We should be celebrating because NAIA1 is only one of the worst and not the worst.  

Raymar Gurrea, Bacolod: Mabuti na lang one of the worst airports in the world lang ang NAIA1, and not the worst airport in the world.

It could have been worse

Elpidio Que, Vigan: Though I haven’t traveled abroad for a long time, unable to actually see and feel airports of other countries, I see many of these on TV to be far better in class and sophistication than the NAIA1 of our country. Our airport ranking would have been worse if the corporation, put up by a conglomeration of taipans to build and operate the NAIA 3, was allowed the deal.

So what else is new?

Jacquelyn Estavillo, Metro Manila: Did we actually need a website to classify our airport as one of the worst in the world? We all know that it is obvious how little money and effort our government puts into developing our airport. Well, at least now I know where the tax deductions from my monthly paychecks are really going.

William Gonzaga, Marikina City: So what else is new? All vaunted plans and programs for NAIA’s development have always been mired in mere press releases, if not diverting fund releases into somebody’s pocket. Even President Aquino seems powerless to do something except to mouth empty orders that generate no concrete results. Woe to the Philippines for remaining the butt of the world’s ridicule!

First impression of the Philippines

Cesar Concha, Metro Manila: It is a big embarrassment for the government and for the Filipino people. Remember, a good impression of the country starts with the airport, where all people coming from any part of the world disembarks.

Rey Ibalan, Antipolo City: It’s a sordid fact that needs decisive government action. Our airports are frontline tourism windows and therefore should competitively be world-class.

Take it as a challenge

Alexander Raquepo, Ilocos Sur: I take it as a challenge and a reminder to our present administration. Making NAIA3 fully functional would give NAIA1 time to refurbish itself.

Felix Ramento, USA: Certainly, NAIA1 is not world-class, but to list it under a general classification of worst airports in the world is unbelievable. But it could well be if more accurately categorized under, say, airports of developing countries in the world. Let’s admit it and take notice positively, though.

Francis de Guzman, Manila: This is a wake-up call for P-Noy. Kaya worst ang NAIA1, dami kasi kotong dyan. Ang unang gawin is alisin mga kurakot dyan, tapos lagyan ng CCTV ang mga counters. It’s not too late, but better act now, Mr. P-Noy.

Pedro Alagano Sr., Vigan City: Whether true or not, it serves notice to the government to improve and make over the said airport, including putting friendly and smiling personnel to make a difference.

Rodolfo Talledo, Angeles City: The neglect of authorities in improving the NAIA1 facilities is a criminal neglect, being the initial destination of air travel, It reflects wholesale incompetence in prioritizing matters that could favorably define our national character.

C.B. Manalastas, Manila: If the findings are indeed true, then what is the Aquino regime doing to correct the problem? Wait for more shame and major disaster or blame again past administrations? Sawa na ang mga mamamayan sa sisihan. Aksyon at solusyon ang kailangan.

Ruben Viray, Antipolo City: It’s a wake-up call. NAIA1 should conform to the generally accepted norms of security, convenience and upgrade of facilities the local and international riding public expect. Stricter rules should also be implemented in a conducive atmosphere. We should act now and not later.

Views expressed in this section do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The STAR. The STAR does not knowingly publish false information and may not be held liable for the views of readers exercising their right to free expression. The publication also reserves the right to edit contributions to this section as it sees fit.

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