Turning a ‘better NAIA’ into reality

By Ma. Cristina Arayata, Philippine News Agency

AUGMENTATION. Immigration electronic gates (e-gates), which could process a passenger in about 20 seconds, were rolled out at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Dec. 16, 2025. Other improvements include the opening of two food halls at Terminal 3, and the bigger OFW Lounge at Terminal 1. (Photo: PNA)

MANILA – Upgrades and enhancements could be seen at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) a year since the New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC), a private consortium, took over the management of the airport.

Sought for comment, the Air Carriers Association of the Philippines (ACAP) welcomed the improvements.

“Our airlines welcome the improvements at NAIA, from the installation of more immigrations e-gates to the provision of new transit facilities, OFW lounges, and runway and taxiway (upgrades) that help to increase aircraft movements and improve safety and efficiency,” ACAP Executive Director Jose Enrique Perez de Tagle told the Philippine News Agency.

ACAP members, he said, are looking forward to working in close consultation and partnership with the NNIC, as well as pertinent government agencies in the aviation sector.

Just this month, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. personally witnessed the phased rollout of Immigration electronic gates (e-gates) at the NAIA. While e-gates have been installed at the country’s main gateway since 2018, the NNIC’s additional 78 e-gates would help address congestion as these would enable a passenger to clear immigration in about 20 seconds.

The NNIC also upgraded the OFW (overseas Filipino worker) Lounge at the NAIA Terminal 1, providing a bigger space. This is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, serving complimentary food and drinks. The lounge also has resting areas, charging stations and secure baggage storage rooms.

To recall, the NNIC also funded and opened an OFW Lounge at Terminal 3 in July 2024. Both lounges can be used for free, regardless of the type of tickets the OFWs are holding.

Corrective measures

The airport’s bollard system has faced scrutiny after a vehicle crashed outside Terminal 1’s departure area in May 2025.

The incident prompted the San Miguel Corporation-led management to conduct an audit of all security bollards at the airport, and to and to redesign the departure drop-off areas at Terminals 1 and 2 to enhance curbside safety.

Aside from bollard reinforcements, the diagonal passenger drop-off layout at Terminals 1 and 2 departure areas was modified to a safer parallel unloading configuration.

“While safeguards were already in place, we recognize that there is always room to improve. We are taking concrete steps to help ensure incidents like this do not happen again,” the NNIC said in a statement earlier.

Other improvements

Other noticeable enhancements include the opening of two new food halls at Terminal 3, boosting capacity and options for the passengers.

One of these two is the 6,200-square-meter all-Filipino dining space, featuring 17 homegrown brands that showcase regional flavors and products.

A new Dignitaries Lounge was also opened at Terminal 3, seeking to provide a more welcoming setting for official engagements to reflect Filipino hospitality. This 200-square-meter lounge could accommodate up to 61 distinguished guests.

Advanced X-ray units, more carts and chairs were procured. More coasters were provided to transport passengers across the terminals.

The NNIC also converted several unused areas in Terminals 1 to 3 into bus gates to allow more space.

This year, the NNIC has scheduled several power maintenance works to ensure the safety and reliability in operations.

Meanwhile, the demolition of the Philippine Village Hotel started this year for the construction of Terminal 5, which is expected to accommodate an additional 35 million passengers annually.

A new Terminal 4 will be built between Terminals 1 and 2 to cater to domestic airlines.

“This shows how this partnership with the government is delivering improvements that the public can actually see and feel. As we enter the new year, we look forward to continuing this work and building on what is already in place,” NNIC president Ramon Ang said in a previous statement.