Only one out of five baggage handling and explosive detection systems is currently operational at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) Chairman and CEO Ramon Ang revealed to InsiderPH on Tuesday.
The New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC), led by SMC, had already ordered a new baggage handling system in July 2024, immediately after discovering that 80 percent of the current facilities were inoperable. However, the new system will take approximately one year to install, with completion expected by July 2025.
“SMC was aware of the problem since June, so we ordered baggage handling systems and explosive detection systems in July,” Ang told InsiderPH, noting that occasional baggage handling problems for departing passengers may persist until the new system’s installation is complete.
The SMC chief emphasized that arriving passengers won’t face similar issues as the arrival baggage system operates on a “simple conveyor.” He added that the situation “will improve starting tomorrow because we hired extra people to do it manually” while awaiting the new equipment installation.
Cebu Pacific, which has been affected by the system’s limitations, reported progress in addressing the baggage delays through collaboration with NNIC. “Both CEB and NNIC have deployed extra manpower to the affected area and implemented processes to assist with manual loading of baggage from the counters,” the airline said in an advisory Tuesday evening.
NNIC, which assumed NAIA’s management in September 2024 under a 15-year contract, confirmed that modernizing the airport’s infrastructure is part of its phased approach to improving operations. The new system aims to enhance efficiency and provide redundancy to prevent similar disruptions in the future.
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