THE Iloilo Airport at night. (Tara Yap)
ILOILO CITY — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has ordered the removal of the initial security screening of passengers at the departure area to ease congestion at the Iloilo Airport.
“Kailangan nang tanggalin ito kasi redundant na ‘yung proseso (It needs to be removed. The process is already redundant),” said DOTr acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez in a statement over the weekend.
Lopez considered this as the cause of passengers overcrowding the area for check-in with their airlines.
“Maglaan ng mas malaking espasyo para sa mga pasahero, para hindi sila magsiksikan sa check-in (Provide more space for passengers, so they don’t crowd at check-in),” added Lopez.
The final security check of passengers at the boarding gates is already enough, he said.
Lopez ordered the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), a DOTr attached agency, to submit a new action plan for the Iloilo Airport within 15 days.
He said this is part of the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to ease travel in all airports.
Meanwhile, Lopez also ordered CAAP Iloilo to fast-track the implementation of automated check-in with facial ID recognition in the airport.