New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC), the private operator of the Philippines’ main international airport, is auditing security bollards and redesigning passenger drop-off areas at Terminals 1 and 2 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), days after a fatal crash exposed gaps in curbside safety.
The move comes in response to a tragic incident on Sunday morning, when a sports utility vehicle rammed through a steel bollard and sped into the departure area of Terminal 1. The crash killed a four-year-old girl—the daughter of an overseas Filipino worker—and a 29-year-old businessman set to fly abroad. Several others were injured.
“This was a serious incident, and we are treating it with the urgency it deserves,” NNIC said in a statement.
“While safeguards were already in place, we recognize that there is always room to improve. We are taking concrete steps to help ensure incidents like this do not happen again,” it added.
A report from the Land Transportation Office said the driver claimed he panicked after a sedan allegedly cut in front of him. However, CCTV footage showed no such vehicle. The driver has been taken into police custody and his license has been suspended.
NNIC’s ongoing audit will evaluate whether existing bollards—installed in 2019—require structural reinforcements, such as deeper foundations, especially in high-traffic zones.
At the same time, the operator is modifying the current diagonal passenger drop-off layout at Terminals 1 and 2, inherited prior to its September 2024 takeover, to a parallel unloading setup designed to offer safer vehicle flow and added protection.
The company took over NAIA operations through a public-private partnership aimed at modernizing the country’s primary international gateway.
Since then, it has begun addressing long-standing safety issues and implementing airside and landside upgrades to improve overall airport operations and passenger experience. (TCSP)
