EDITORIAL - Just another day at the NAIA

Nine hours after two explosions knocked out power at Terminal 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport yesterday, NAIA personnel were still scrambling to find back-up generators. The generator that was put on stream to restore power immediately at 2 a.m. could provide enough electricity to keep the lights and air conditioning on at the Centennial Terminal. But there wasn’t enough juice for the computers, check-in counters, x-ray machines and aerobridge.

The result: long lines at the security inspection areas and check-in counters as well as delays in both domestic and international flights of flag carrier Philippine Airlines, exclusive user of Terminal II. The flight disruptions also affected operations at the main NAIA terminal.

With the Arroyo administration on the defensive about its campaign against terror, and with Manila hosting a regional counterterrorism forum with emphasis on transportation security, NAIA officials were quick to point out that the cause of the explosion was not sabotage or terrorism but an electrical malfunction. Until noon there were whispers about some animal or insect gumming up the power control panel and transformer at Terminal II. By afternoon officials were attributing the explosions to an "electrical fault" malfunction.

Last year a former transportation official took over the main air control tower at the NAIA – a drama that ended in a bloody, deadly mess. But the nation’s premier airport has not been hit by a terrorist attack. Security is always tight – especially when there is no blackout. The bigger problem at the NAIA has always been those little details: malfunctioning water pumps that result in flooding at the tarmac, ceilings that leak during the rainy season, electrical systems that malfunction during summer.

All of which are nothing to be scared about, but certainly cause as much inconvenience to passengers. If airport officials can implement all the necessary measures to thwart terrorism, they should also be able to do what it takes to make day-to-day operations function smoothly. Airports are gateways to the nation. We can’t afford to keep welcoming or sending off travelers in airport terminals where they end up sweaty, smelly and infuriated over delayed flights.