Inihayag ni Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) officer-in-charge general manager Bryan Co na ang desisyon ni President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. na alisin ang COVID-19 public health emergency status sa bansa ay isang ‘welcome move’.
“We are very supportive of these measures as we return to pre-pandemic protocols to support the reopening of our economy,” ani Co.
Aniya, ang nasabing hakbang ay alinsunod sa national program na naglalayong i-promote ang turismo at business development sa bansa.
Ang lifting ng state of public health emergency ay nakapaloob sa Presidential Proclamation 297 at suportado ng Department Order 2023-017 ng Department of Transportation (DOTr).
Matatandaan na noong March 15, 2023 ay ginawa nang ‘optional’ ng MIAA ang pagsusuot ng facemask sa loob ng NAIA complex.
Ayon kay Co, ang huling restriction ay para na lamang sa public transport gaya ng sa loob ng eroplano, bus at iba pa.
Samantala, inihayag ni Co na pataas na ang passenger volume at flight movement sa NAIA para sa unang kalahati ng taong 2023.
“The MIAA recorded a total of 22,221,933 international and domestic passengers from January to June 2023, an increase of 78% versus the same period last year and only 8% lower than the pre-pandemic level in 2019,” ayon kay public affairs officer Connie Bungag,.
“Flight movements, on the other hand, registered at 135,883, up by 42% for the same period in 2022 and equivalent to 100% of the flights handled at NAIA in the first half of 2019, dagdag pa nito.
“We are pleased to experience these surges in statistics—a strong indication that passengers have regained the confidence to travel again. The double-digit surge in our flight movements and passenger volume is enough ground for optimism that the aviation industry is steadily heading towards full recovery,” ayon naman kay Co.
