For the last two consecutive years, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport has been voted by travellers as the world's worst airport. It is not only an international embarrassment but a continuous source of frustration and headaches for passengers, tourists, business travellers, airlines, pilots and cabin crew.

NAIA is the first and last impression that travellers get of the Philippines. What is worse is that not only does NAIA reflect a poor image and lasting impression of the Philippines for tourists, but it is insulting to our valued overseas Filipino workers that are returning home after working hard for their families and the country. It's hardly what any reasonable person could consider a "warm welcome."

In spite of that, the Philippine government feels that it is important to improve the conditions of the airport in time for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders Summit in 2015 so that foreign delegates experience the best of Filipino hospitality. A similar gesture was made to greet foreign delegates of the recently held World Economic Forum. Meanwhile, little to no effort is made to improve conditions for the countless Filipinos and overseas workers that use the airport each day. If such great effort is made for foreign delegates, why not improve things in time for the arrival of our very own overseas workers? Afterall, are they not the real heroes in this country? Indeed, as one writer previously suggested, NAIA is very anti-Filipino. There is no reason that Filipinos should be treated as second class citizens by their own government. 

Inadequate Infrastructure & Over Capacity

But regardless of any efforts that government might make to improve the existing aesthetic conditions at the country's main international gateway, it does not change the fact that NAIA as an airport is inadequate to serve the needs of our country moving forward, necessitating the need for a new modern airport. According to the National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport complex is composed of four terminals.

NAIA Terminal 1 was built with a design capacity of 4.5 million passengers in 1978. However, that capacity was already well exceeded in 2010 when the terminal handled 7.3 million passengers. 

NAIA Terminal 2, which serves Philippine Airlines, was built to serve 7.5 million passengers. But the amount of passenger traffic in 2010 had already reached 8.9 million passengers. 

NAIA Terminal 3, which is yet to be fully operational, was designed to handle 14 million passengers. But because it has not been fully opened as an international airport, it has only been handling approximately 9.5 million passengers annually.

NAIA Terminal 4, also known as the Old Domestic Airport, handled 1.4 million passengers in 2010, which is nearly half of its designed capacity of 3 million. 

Fast forward to the present and the four terminals at Ninoy Aquino International Airport have already breached NAIA's total capacity of 31 million passengers. In 2012, all terminals recorded recorded breaking annual passenger traffic totalling 31,558,002. The traffic recorded in 2010 was already 27.1 million. That's probably when government should have began construction of a replacement airport. 

The Japan International Cooperation Agency estimates that the number of passengers travelling through the capital region is expected to reach 106.7 million by 2040. Even with improvements made to the existing terminals at NAIA, the design of the current complex is not suited for growth. Although NAIA has two runways, the fact that they cross makes it impossible to use both runways simultaneously to better facilitate the arrival and departure of aircraft efficiently. At present, the airport can only handle approximately 40 take offs or landings per hour. The government is planning to construct another parallel runway that would increase capacity at the airport up to 60 takes offs or landings per hour. However, even with another runway, NAIA will still be ill-equipped to handle the growth and passenger traffic that is expected by 2040. 

Although government wants to increase tourism growth, it has already been forced to turn away foreign international carriers that want to fly to Manila because the slot requirements of the carriers cannot be met at NAIA. Furthermore, there is no infrastructure in place to facilitate seamless or efficient travel between terminals or travel to the city centre. The only real transportation available are the yellow taxis that are frequently accused of dishonest pricing and overcharging.

At present, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport generates nearly P16.5 billion in annual income. However, this is allocated to three different government agencies: the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, the Manila International Airport Authority, and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. Of the fees being paid by travellers at NAIA, very little is being put towards the actual maintenance or improvements at the airport. The airport lacks adequate seating, clean toilets, and even CCTV systems for security. The fees need to be put back into NAIA.  

The Manila International Airport Authority has been given several years to prove their worth. However, they have proven ineffective and incapable of effectively managing an airport. The leadership in place does not even have any prior experience in airport management. According to the World Economic Forum, this has earned NAIA a ranking of 113 out of 148 countries in terms of airport competitiveness.

If tourism and our national carriers are expected to grow, they will need adequate infrastructure and facilities that can provide travellers with a pleasant and traveller-friendly atmosphere during departure, arrival, and transit. Other countries including Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea have all invested in new airport infrastructure in their capital cities leaving the Philippines far behind. 

A National Disgrace

The bottom line is that the passengers of Ninoy Aquino International Airport are suffering:

-Incompetent security measures with lack of CCTV systems

-Toilets occasionally do not work and lack cleanliness

-Air conditioning systems are terribly inadequate leading to unbearable conditions

-Wooden planks and printed signs are still used rather than electronic displays

-Flight information display boards are almost non-existent in most terminals

-No comfortable area exists for well wishers or those meeting arriving passengers

-Flights are constantly delayed due to runway congestion

-Long queues due to overcapacity and inadequate facilities

-No connectivity between terminals

-Inadequate public transit to the city centre

-Poor service from airport employees

-Dated interiors

-Inefficient systems for the smooth processing of passengers

-Lack of runways to support growth

-All terminals lack shops and restaurants

The list could simply go on and on. Ultimately, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport complex was never designed professionally or functionally to meet the growing demands of air travel in the country. The Philippines needs a brand new international airport to serve the needs of the country and the growth of tourism.

An Opportunity to Change

The San Miguel Corporation recently submitted a $10 billion proposal to construct a brand new international gateway for Manila that would have four runways and can accommodate up to 250 take offs and landings per hour. It is believed that this airport would cost absolutely no money to the tax payer with San Miguel Corporation earning back its investment by managing operations at the airport for a set time period before returning control to the Philippine government. This new airport could give travellers a positive first impression of the Philippines and the experience that they deserve.

Like other modern gateways in Asia, Filipinos deserve efficient and friendly service, concierge-like airport staff, world-class shopping and dining, aesthetically pleasing modern interiors, clean toilets, complimentary internet access, flight information displays, functional systems, comfortable transit lounges, working air conditioning and seamless connectivity between terminals and the city. 

Filipinos deserve more than to be treated as second class citizens. By signing this petition, we are asking the Philippine government to proceed with the San Miguel Corporation's proposal for a new international airport for metro Manila. Furthermore, we wish for the government to contract out the management of our airports to an experienced airport management company. 

The Manila Airport should be a symbol of pride for the Philippines - an icon that all Filipinos can be proud of rather than a national disgrace.