MANILA – Hundreds of passengers have been affected by the baggage handling system (BHS) “technical issue” at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) since October 18, an airline bared Tuesday.
Cebu Pacific (CEB) spokesperson Carmina Romero said about 800 bags were affected by the glitch as of October 22.
The airline, in a statement, said a dedicated team manages the situation.
Passengers could have their bags delivered to their destination or they could pick them up at the airport for domestic flights.
Similar options were provided to passengers of international flights, along with delivery services for passengers with onward destinations.
“Matagal na po ang maintenance problem ng BHS sa T3 po kaya when GM was onboarded last December 2023, isa ito sa pina prioritize nya for procurement (The maintenance problem of the BHS at Terminal 3 has long been there. Thus, when the general manager took office last December, it was among the things he prioritized for procurement),” Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) head executive assistant Chris Bendijo said in an interview.
Bendijo, however, noted that the spare parts would take a long time to arrive from overseas.
He clarified that the MIAA did not procure an entire new BHS but just the spare parts.
The New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC), which took over operations on September 14, could procure the parts immediately since the consortium is not bound by Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Act, Bendijo said.
“Baka nga pwede, they buy it na lang tapos yung in-order ng government ay gawin inventory (They could probably opt to purchase the parts, then include in their inventory the parts ordered by the government),” he added.
In a statement, the NNIC said it is working closely with CEB to minimize the impact on travelers.
Both parties have increased manpower to expedite baggage processing. Additionally, alternative systems and protocols have been activated to resolve the issue as swiftly as possible, it said.
The NNIC added that among their top priorities is the replacement of the 20-year-old BHS.
“NNIC has already procured a new, advanced system, with additional redundancy measures set to be implemented to prevent future disruptions and enhance operational efficiency,” it said. (PNA)