Senator seeks quick remedy to ‘unacceptable’ baggage delays in NAIA 3

By Wilnard Bacelonia, Philippine News Agency

FILE: Passengers at NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City queue at the check-in counter as it resumes its operation after Air Traffic Management Center of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines experienced a technical issue on Sunday (Jan. 1, 2023) (PNA photo by Yancy Lim)

MANILA – The baggage delays at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 are unacceptable and should be addressed immediately, Senator Grace Poe said on Thursday.

“It’s unacceptable that hundreds of luggage are stuck at the airport due to a technical glitch. A delayed flight is a bad thing; a mishandled or delayed luggage is equally disappointing,” Poe said in a statement.

“Whoever is responsible must address the matter urgently as what’s piling up in the airport are valuable belongings of passengers.”

Poe said a week is too long for the problem to be remedied and called for a refund for those who paid for their checked-in bags as required by the airline companies.

“They deserve a refund and more for the trouble caused,” she said.

Hundreds of passengers have been affected by the baggage handling system (BHS) “technical issue” at the NAIA 3 since Oct. 18, an airline said on Tuesday

Cebu Pacific (CEB) spokesperson Carmina Romero said about 800 bags were affected by the glitch as of Oct. 22.

The San Miguel Corp.-led New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation (NNIC) has assured that it will replace the 20-year-old BHS to prevent the incident from happening again.

NNIC took over the management and operations of NAIA last Sept. 14 with the commitment to rehabilitate and modernize its systems.