NAIA Terminals Connected

May 31, 2012 

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) is connecting its Terminals 1, 2, 3, and 4 by September after acquiring 10 brand-new shuttle buses to ply exclusively between terminals for the convenience of passengers in a drive to improve its image and services.

“There will be 10 new free shuttle buses in four months,” says MIAA Head Jose Angel Honrado. 

Honrado said the brand new buses would ply the loop that goes through the service road inside the airport compound, expediting its travel time between terminals by passengers wishing to transfer and catch flight from one terminal to another.

The airport chief said there is a need to connect the terminals to transfer passengers from one terminal to another and its cheaper and efficient to connect them by bus shuttles than rails.

Previously, MIAA fielded 4 shuttle buses, free of charge, complemented by 4 other privately operated buses that charge P20 per passenger. These shuttle buses follow a loop that go around the perimeter of Naia Terminals 1, 2 and 3 and 4.

The problem according to Honrado was that these vehicles most often are caught in traffic when traversing Terminal 3 and 4 together with other vehicles in the road.

“To expedite passenger transfer we need to operate them inside” Honrado adds.

“Shuttle services between passengers terminals are a common sight in many advanced airports in the world,” Honrado said.

The upgrade calls for the phaseout of the present bus shuttles and the introduction of a “jeepney-inspired” Cobus shuttle service.

A Cobus is an infield shuttle bus designed specifically for use at airports.

According to Honrado, operating inside airport premises will improve passenger security and avoid shuttles mingling with regular vehicles in congested roads as well as enable efficient passenger transfer from one terminal to another.