Naia terminal dislodged as world鈥檚 worst airport

By: Ni帽a P. Calleja - 10 years ago

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia). 蜜桃工作室 FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines鈥揂fter topping the list of the world鈥檚 worst airports for three consecutive years, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) has the dubious achievement of landing only fourth this year.

鈥淭he Guide to Sleeping in Airports,鈥� the interactive travel site which has been sticking Manila鈥檚 international airport with the world鈥檚 worst airport tag since 2011, this year praised the Naia, particularly its Terminal 3, for the improvements that have apparently changed passengers鈥� experience of the airport.

According to the travel site鈥檚 2014 survey results posted on www.sleepinginairports.net on Wednesday, Naia was 鈥渙vertaken鈥� in the worst airport stakes by Islamabad Benazir Bhutto International Airport (ISB) of Pakistan, Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport of Saudi Arabia and Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport of Nepal.

Pakistan鈥檚 ISB, which topped the list this year, was likened to a 鈥渃entral prison,鈥� with pervasive corruption and aggressive yet inconsistent security checks.

The website ranks airports based on the votes cast by travelers who rate the facilities according to 鈥渃omfort, amenities and overall experience.鈥�

Most of the travelers that use the website鈥檚 services are those looking to cut costs by sleeping at the airports instead of booking hotel rooms.

鈥淎fter 3 years at the top of our worst airports lists, Manila Naia saw a slight 鈥榠mprovement鈥� in its ranking as a result of increased positive votes for its Terminal 3,鈥� the blog said.

Last August, Naia 3 started full airline operations with the completion of rehabilitation work that was 17 years in the making.

Five international airlines鈥擠elta Airlines, KLM, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Emirates鈥攈ave now moved to Naia 3 from the congested Naia 1 which has long been the object of ridicule in international travel sites.

鈥淭his year, in an effort to lose its title of being the 鈥榣aggard of Asia鈥� (as one survey respondent put it), the long-awaited rehabilitation of Naia Terminal 1 [has] finally commenced,鈥� the website noted.

The P1.3 billion renovation of the Naia 1, which began last January, would be finished next March, airport officials have promised.

But Naia was still not spared from negative remarks from travelers in the 2014 survey results. The website said overcrowding, lengthy queues, limited seating, unfriendly immigration and customs officers and smelly toilets still count among the travelers鈥� grievances.

The website also brought up the unbearable heat at the Naia when the air-conditioning system broke down last summer, and called the airport 鈥淎sia鈥檚 largest public sauna.鈥�

鈥淵ou may now be asking yourself 鈥榟ow is this an improvement?鈥� Well, all news was not grim at Naia 1 this year,鈥� it said.

It said that after last year鈥檚 survey results, the newly refurbished day rooms have reopened.

The website also cited the plan of the Manila International Airport Authority, which runs all four terminals of the Naia to include the terminal fees in the cost of the international tickets to decongest the terminals by eliminating the long queues.

鈥淐onsider this a firm recommendation to do all that you can to fly on airlines th at use Terminal 3 rather than Terminal 1鈥攑articularly if your time at Manila鈥檚 Naia is looking long!鈥� the website said.

Other airport terminals that made it to the world鈥檚 worst list were Bergamo Orio al Serio International Airport,Italy; Berlin Tegel International Airport and Frankfurt Hahn International Airport, Germany; New York City La Guardia International Airport, United States; Paris Beauvais International Airport, France; and Tashkent International Airport, Uzbekistan.