What’s Up With NAIA’s Baggage Problem at Terminal 3?

(SPOT.ph) Since October 18, passengers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 have faced significant delays in retrieving their luggage due to a malfunction in its baggage handling system (BHS). The root of the issue? A 20-year-old system that’s become largely inoperable.

Passengers had to endure lengthy waits, and by October 22, more than 800 bags had reportedly been left behind.

In response to the growing chaos, the New NAIA Infra Corporation (NNIC) said in a statement it has plans to replace the old BHS entirely with “a new, advanced system, with additional redundancy measures set to be implemented to prevent future disruptions and enhance operational efficiency.”

Until then, here’s what we can expect.

Also read: Are Passengers Entitled to Compensation for Flight and Baggage Delays?

Baggage delays are a long time coming

According to San Miguel Corporation (SMC) CEO Ramon Ang, out of the five installed baggage handling and explosive detection systems at Terminal 3, only a single unit is operational. It’s a problem he had anticipated when the NNIC officially took over the management and operations of NAIA last September.

“Baggage handling systems of Terminal 3 have been problematic for years,” Ang told InsiderPH. “SMC was aware of the problem since June, so we ordered baggage handling systems and explosive detection systems in July.”

But it will take until mid-2025 to fully install and operationalize these new systems, added Ang.

NAIA Terminal 3 has since increased manpower to manually process the backlog of luggage to minimize passenger inconvenience in the short term, and this has already led to some improvement.

Cebu Pacific—one of the hardest-hit airlines—has offered affected passengers the option to either pick up their bags at the airport or have them delivered to their destination. By October 23, a Cebu Pacific advisory said that “normal baggage handling operations have been restored.”

Ang also assured that passengers arriving at Terminal 3 shouldn’t face the same issues, as the baggage system for arrivals is a simpler conveyor setup that remains functional.

What now?

As Ang noted, the BHS for departing passengers will remain a challenge until the new system is in place.

Travelers should brace for possible baggage delays over the next few months, especially when flying out of NAIA Terminal 3. While airlines and the airport are doing what they can to mitigate the situation—adding more ground staff, providing alternative baggage collection options—fully resolving the issue won’t happen until the new machines are installed by mid-2025.

The light at the end of the tunnel? Once the new system is operational, NAIA Terminal 3 is expected to deliver a much smoother travel experience. Fingers crossed.

Also read: It’s Official: Travelers Will Face Higher NAIA Fees by 2025