PAL starts tighter security measures for US-bound passengers

Philippine Airlines (Wikimedia Commons)

MANILA— Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) on Monday started the dry-run of tighter security measures for US-bound passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2.

This means passengers can expect additional check-in procedures as part of the regulatory requirements of the US Department of Homeland Security for US-bound flights.

As of Monday, PAL conducted the dry-run on its Manila-Los Angeles, Manila-San Francisco, Manila-Honolulu and Manila-Guam flights.

PAL hopes for the seamless implementation of the expanded/additional check in procedure soon.

Due to the tighter check-in procedure, PAL is advising US-bound passengers to be at the airport three to four hours before their scheduled departure.

It may be recalled that since July, PAL has been implementing additional screening for larger than smartphone portable electronic devices (PED) of its US-bound passengers.

The move is also in accordance with the directives of the US Department of Homeland Security, which PAL said will be effective until June 2018.

PEDs such as laptops, tablets, portable DVD players, cameras, scanners, printers, among others, are required to undergo additional screening at the Redundancy Screening Checkpoint. Medical devices are exempted from the additional screening.

PEDs are allowed onboard the aircraft once they are cleared at the checkpoint.