AS Filipinos “revenge travel,” authorities should ready the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for the surge in passenger traffic, which is expected to breach the 50 million mark soon.

The call was made by Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto, who said that while NAIA’s physical limitations hamper costly “land-side and air-side” improvements, there are inexpensive “low-hanging fruits like curbside improvements.”

Recto was referring to fielding more buses to NAIA from pick-up points like malls and a carousel system that will link NAIA’s “Balkanized four terminals.”

“Kung kaya nating umutang ng P356 bilyon at hukayin ang ilalim ng lupa para sa isang subway, siguro naman mas madali ang pag-deploy ng maraming bus,” Recto said.

Recto said the government should bring affordable mass transportation to NAIA’s doors, “and in the absence of trains, buses are the next best choice.”

“Sa lahat ng airports sa buong mundo, ang buses ay bahagi ng isang integrated transportation system servicing an airport,” he said.

“This is so because an air passenger’s experience and comfort extend beyond an airport’s gate. The global trend in airport management is how to make it easier and faster for people to go to an airport,” Recto said.

He said the choices of an arriving air passenger should not be limited to taxis and other vehicles-for-hire. “If we have liberalized the air industry, then we should do the same for land transportation to and from the airport.”

He said passengers with connecting flights at a different terminal should be bused there for free.

“Iyang ganyang serbisyo covered na dapat ‘yan ng terminal fee,” he pointed out.

Recto said the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) posted gross revenues of P15.9 billion in 2019.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), on the other hand, reported gross revenues of P10.5 during the same year.

Recto said the deployment of more airport buses should come on the heels of removing X-ray machines at NAIA’s arrival doors, “a simple yet effective solution which improved passenger experience.”

“Yun lang pala ang solusyon sa haba ng pila sa pagpasok ng airport. And I commend DOTr Secretary Bautista and NAIA General Manager Cesar Chiong for this commonsensical initiative,” he said.