GrabCar officially begins operations at NAIA

(Photo from Grab PH’s official Instagram account)

MANILA – Passengers going to or leaving from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Monday have officially began using app-based ride-hailing service GrabCar after airport management gave them the go signal last week.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), however, reminded passengers that GrabCar will be allowed to operate in NAIA and not GrabTaxi while on an “experimental phase.”

Booking agents in booths placed in designated areas at the terminal are stationed to assist passengers so that even non-app users will be allowed to make GrabCar reservations.

Pick-up locations in Terminal 1 will be at the main arrival curbside, pick-up location in Terminal 2 will be at the inner arrival curbside between bays 7 and 8, pick-up location in Terminal 3 will be at the secondary arrival curbside between bays 5 and 6 and pick-up location in Terminal 4 will be at the curbside.

There will also be a waiting period policy of only two-minutes. If the passenger has not arrived yet, GrabCar drivers will have to leave. GrabCar meanwhile advised passengers to book rides when ready to board.

GrabCar will be charging passengers with the same base fare in all its other pick-up points at Php 30 base fare while Php 12 will be charged per succeeding kilometer.

MIAA earlier said that its Grab’s rival, Uber, would also eventually start operating at NAIA after it completed its accreditation requirements.

Aside from GrabCar, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and MIAA last Feb. 17 launched the Airport Bus System, taking after the success of the Premium Point-to-Point (P2P) Bus Service.

Bus company AIR21 is operating the premium Airport Bus Service under the brand name UBE Express. There are a total of six bus units that will ferry passengers to and from the NAIA on a 24-hour basis with a flat rate of Php 300.