Ninoy Aquino International Airport - Worst airport' no longer?

[webfact]

'Worst airport' no longer?



MANILA: -- The ongoing repairs on the airconditioners, comfort rooms, and other facilities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have resulted in a marked improvement, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Jose Angel Honrado claimed on Tuesday.

This could be a wonderful gift that airline passengers can expect for Christmas, according to Manila Bulletin.

“The air handling units (in Terminal 1) are slowly being replaced. So far, we have replaced 50 percent, which account half of the 34 units. On the work force at a given time, we are changing 4 to 5 units,” he said. MIAA targets the completion of the installation of all these units by first quarter next year.

On top of this, four new chillers from the US will be activated before Christmas to replace the old ones at the airport terminal. The replacement of these airconditioning units will raise temperatures inside the terminal, Honrado said.

The improvement on six of the 18 toilet facilities at the NAIA Terminal 2, on the other hand, will be completed by December this year, he said. Repair works, however, are in progress to restore cold temperature at the level 3 and 4 of the airport’s Terminal 3. “We hope we can have these (air handling units) operational very soon.”

The old and broken air conditioning system and toilets have reportedly contributed to the rating of NAIA as as “one of the world’s worst airports.”

Airport officials are appealing for understanding as the construction activities have brought inconvenience to airline passengers at NAIA Terminal 1.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/worst-airport-longer/


-- Thai PBS 2014-11-13

[Lammbock]

Worst Airport Ever!!! ...and that will not change just because they replacing air conditioners.

[bob4you]

Worst Airport Ever!!! ...and that will not change just because they replacing air conditioners.

It is by far the worst one I have ever experienced. The motorized walk ways never work and some gates are about 2 miles away.

[mike2011]

Where else in the world would the manager of an airport, in this case a buddy of the president and appointed by him, make it a case of pride and a matter for a press release that some toilets and aircon units have been improved? Tells you all you need to know about that man and the airport.

NAIA3 was taken by corrupt officials from Fraport resulting in a 500 Million Euro loss for that company. The sum was shouldered by the German taxpayer through a government export insurance. What the clowns in Manila had overlooked was that not all technology had been installed yet. Just too greedy. Plus they apparently have done shit in maintaining the terminal. Water leaks, panels dropping from the ceiling. The condition of the handful of elevators is sad. Seating? good luck.

The renovation effort reported on has to be viewed in the context of a reduction in terminal fees. These had been reduced from 700 Peso to 550 Peso. In an attempt to reverse this decision by the supervisory authority, the airport authorities proposed the renovation of the toilets. Calculate the number of passenger going through the airport and their toilet use then the taxable value of a toilet has been established.

The article makes no mention of the out-dated radar and other equipment that singles this airport out from all the others and produces ridiculous congestion.

Finally, to get an idea about the efficiency of the Philippines' administration remember how many flights the US troops managed to get in and out of Leyte after the typhoon. It took a disaster to get the local airport to capacity. Now it is back in state administration and back to what they consider normal.

If you go to the Phils and have the option of going through Cebu instead of MNL do it.

[Kerryd]

NAIA sucks, period.

Just went through there twice (out and back) in the last 12 days.

Flight delays (planes late departing leading to arriving flights being stuck on the ramp). The airport itself doesn't appear to have changed in any way at all since the last time I went through in 2008.

Going through as a Transit passenger was a pain in the nethers as well. Very inefficient method for dealing with transit passengers.

From what I could see, they have 1 set of male and 1 set of female toilets to serve the entire departure area (which explains the very, very long lines outside of each). I only recall seeing 1 set of "Departure Board' TVs but there may have been another somewhere that I overlooked.

My Departure Gate # was changed when I checked in at the Transit Desk. No problem, other than I sat at the new gate (along with at least half the other people on my flight) until about 15 minutes after we were supposed to have started boarding. I finally gave up and started walking towards the only Departure Board TV I could see when they announced the "final boarding call" for my flight, at a totally different gate ! I informed the girl checking the boarding passes that half of her flight was still at the previous gate and she just smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

Little wonder they have problems getting planes out of the gates in time for arriving planes to dock up.

I was actually quite surprised the first time I went through that airport (in 2008) as I though it would have been a much larger, newer and more efficient terminal du to what I thought was probably a considerable amount of international traffic.

Seeing that little, if anything had changed in the 6 years since then didn't really surprise me at all.

[KarenBravo]

Worst airport ever? Rubbish!

Obviously posters haven't been through a few of the African airports, then.

It's not even the worst airport in Asia. Maybe Manila is the worst airport of a SE Asian capital city

[ezzra]

No not anymore, now it's the second worst airport in the world, after Libya Tripoli airport...

[kamahele]

Well thank God for the toilets being fixed. I used to fly in their frequently on business and my goal was to try and find a toilet which flushed on its own (without being in a club room). It was awful. If you were lucky, there would be a young man in the bathroom to ask you if you have to pee or poop and he would wait with a bucket to flush the toilet. The last time I was there, there was no water in the sink either so the toilet flushing employee had to also dump water on my hands before and after washing. What a job! Don't get me going on the good choices and lounge areas..... Once you have been to this terminal, it makes you appreciate all the other lacking by decent airports you have been too and will go to next.

[Roota]

Maybe Manila is the worst airport of a SE Asian capital city

It's certainly still that, though as you say nowhere near 'worst in the world' except for people who don't get around much.

Terminal 1 remains an utter disaster. Terminal 2, not quite as awful. And Terminal 3, almost like a real airport. But the biggest problem for the next year or so is extensive road construction. From Terminals 1 or 2 it can take up to an hour just to get out of the airport grounds.

[freebyrd]

Worst Airport Ever!!! ...and that will not change just because they replacing air conditioners.

I lived there 2001 - 2006 and it was always the same old song, 'it will improve next year' - it never did.

[Searat7]

I don't see how a major airport with only one runway can ever have a high rating

[bangon04]

"“The air handling units (in Terminal 1) are slowly being replaced. So far, we have replaced 50 percent, which account half of the 34 units. On the work force at a given time, we are changing 4 to 5 units,” he said. MIAA targets the completion of the installation of all these units by first quarter next year."

He's right about the "slowly" part, and his maths is quite good too. But why is he proud of this achievement?

It never was the worst airport in the world, just maybe the worst international airport in the developed/developing world. Let's be fair.

Edited November 13, 2014 by bangon04

[Andre0720]

Worst Airport Ever!!! ...and that will not change just because they replacing air conditioners.

It is by far the worst one I have ever experienced. The motorized walk ways never work and some gates are about 2 miles away.

So best airport for some exercise....

[CTO]

<<v>>MANILA: -- The ongoing repairs on the airconditioners, comfort rooms, and other facilities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have resulted in a marked improvement, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Jose Angel Honrado claimed on Tuesday.<<v>>

I fly out of there last week, was a mess.

Oddly the discount airlines part is pretty good, far far far better than the main terminals.

[cassde]

I have flown Phil airlines in Business class from Bkk to MNL and back. Always found the lounge to be quite good for the short time there - the flights were generally on time and apart from once changing the gate number with no notice, there was no problem.

[SeaVisionBurma]

Off topic post removed

[HaruHaru]

Not everyone can afford Business class and the lounge.

[asdecas]

T1 is the oldest part of NAIA (discounting Domestic, which seems to be just a collection of large sheds). No doubt it's very representative of the Philippines at large, love it (as I do) or hate it - shabby, zero maintenance, little investment. But as others have said, NAIA as a whole is nowhere near the World's worst airport. T2 and T3 are actually quite efficient, if a little more 20th Century than 21st.

[Dasekel]

I have flown Phil airlines in Business class from Bkk to MNL and back. Always found the lounge to be quite good for the short time there - the flights were generally on time and apart from once changing the gate number with no notice, there was no problem.

What lounge was it? Surely not the Business Class lounge of Thai, because it is tiny and always crowded. Even the lounge in Laos is better (same space, but less crowded). Manila Aiport is third class for sure.

[cassde]

It was the Phil Airline lounge in the far right hand corner as you come through immigration.

[rotary]

From the headline I figured that "Swampy" had taken over last place

[Ulic]

Personally I consider it a badge of honour to say I have used two airports Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya) and Nino Aquino that are

perennially both in the top 5 worst international airports in the world. I have been to hundreds of airports world wide and the

placement of both of these airports in that top 5 rankings is correct.

[KarenBravo]

Sorry, but, if you think Jomo Kenyatta airport is bad, you need to get out more.

Try Nigeria, Angola, Congo, Mauritania etc. etc. Once you have been to a couple of these you will know that neither Jomo Kenyatta,or Nino Aquino deserve to be in the top five worst airports.

Frankly, I would prefer Jomo Kenyatta to CDG in Paris. A total nightmare of an airport.

Edited November 13, 2014 by KarenBravo

[jacko45k]

Replacing AC units will raise temperatures in the Terminal..... no, fit them the other way around Ding!