NAIA rehab must address baggage system glitch, says Poe


Senator Grace Poe said on Thursday, Oct. 24, that the malfunction of the baggage handling system which plagued hundreds of passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 must be resolved in the airport's ongoing rehabilitation.

"The technical issue must be resolved with the rehabilitation of NAIA.  While at it, the airport management and the airline owe it to the affected passengers to be helpful and show they are not sitting on the problem," Poe said in a statement.

The malfunction of the baggage handling system has disrupted the processing of the checked-in luggage and affected what was supposed to be a smooth travel for the passengers.

Poe said that it's unacceptable that hundreds of luggage are stuck at the airport due to a technical glitch.

"A delayed flight is a bad thing; a mishandled or delayed luggage is equally disappointing," she added.

She stated that a week is too long for a problem with the baggage handling system to be remedied.

"Whoever is responsible must address the matter urgently as what’s piling up in the airport are valuable belongings of passengers," Poe said.

"Passengers pay for their checked-in bags as required by the airline company.  They deserve a refund and more for the trouble caused," she added.

In a statement, the New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) said it immediately started working with Cebu Pacific to address the problem, including deploying more personnel to expedite baggage processing.