NAIA Airport Prepares for “New Normal” Operations
NAIA Airport terminals are ramping up preparations for the “new normal” scenarios once the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) is lifted in the national capital region in the near future. This involves a series of safety protocols that flying passengers and airline crews should expect once commercial operations at the Manila airport terminals resume.
It should be noted that among the four terminals, only the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 remained open since March 28, 2020.
These new protocols were set by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to be implemented in the different domestic and international terminals. These health guidelines aim to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 virus among passengers and crew.
Read Developing News: NAIA Terminal Accepts Inbound Flights Beginning May 11
These guidelines, which will be put in place once travel restrictions are lifted, are the following:
Temperature and health check
All persons entering the Ninoy Aquino International Airport complex will undergo a mandatory body temperature check using thermal scanners. All departing passengers are required to fill out a health declaration form. As required by the Bureau of Quarantine, they are also obligated to fill out a passenger locator form for purposes of contact tracing if needed later.
Contactless security check
Only flying passengers with confirmed bookings and valid travel documents for the day will be allowed to enter the Ninoy Aquino International Airport facility. Physical contact and manual frisking will be avoided as much as possible. Contactless security checks shall be enforced through x-ray machines, portable scanners, and handheld metal detectors. This will effectively limit pat-down or manual frisking to “high-security” situations as needed.
Wearing of Masks and Physical distancing
Manila airport authority will require everyone to wear face masks when entering the four airport terminals. Social or physical distancing measures shall be strictly implemented at all queuing points inside and outside the NAIA airport terminal buildings. For seating arrangements, a “one-seat apart policy” shall be strictly enforced. Acrylic/plexiglass barriers are being installed in all help desks and check-in counters in the four Manila airport terminals. Yellow markers are likewise being placed on the floors to ensure physical distancing at all times.
Sanitation and disinfection measures
All Manila airport terminal facilities, including check-in counters, aerobridges, immigration, customs, and other stands, baggage conveyors, will be disinfected continuously and sanitized. All passengers and crew will have to pass by and step on footbaths located in areas where passengers embark or disembark to and from the aircraft. Disinfection activities include sanitizing other airport equipment and facilities such as pushcarts, inspection tables, x-ray machines and trays, wheelchairs, and other frequently touched surfaces.
Personal protective equipment
With the assistance of the Bureau of Quarantine, employees will soon be donning new uniforms that will also serve as personal protective equipment for its most exposed frontline employees. Manila International Airport Authority’s (MIAA) general manager Ed Monreal disclosed that it has purchased a total of some 133,750 pieces of surgical masks and is in the process of procuring some 45,000 articles of washable masks.
Extensive information drives
Information regarding these measures will be widely disseminated. Safety precaution posters and other health guidelines shall be prominently displayed in high-trafficked areas in the NAIA airport Terminals. Airport information boards and other display systems will include alert bulletins regarding health protocols announcements. These will also be disseminated through public reports in MIAA’s official social media sites.
The abovementioned preparation for commercial preparation reflects similar measures being implemented by Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines in the view of flying very soon.
Click here for more news and developments regarding Philippine airports or here for the official announcement from the Manila International Airport Authority.
