No travel advisory against NAIA, other Phl airports — DoTr

The Department of Transportation (DoTr) over the weekend dispelled concerns over a supposed US travel advisory against the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), clarifying that no such bulletin has been issued against any airport in the Philippines.

The clarification comes in response to a viral social media post showing an outdated 2018 advisory reportedly displayed at Sacramento International Airport in California.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said he promptly contacted the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to verify the matter and request the immediate removal of the advisory, which was no longer valid.

“We take these matters very seriously, which is why we immediately reached out to TSA officials here in Manila and officially sought clarification, and if there was any truth to this, we requested that it be immediately taken down to prevent further confusion and anxiety for travelers to the Philippines,” Dizon said.

According to the DoTr, TSA officials based in Manila confirmed that the outdated advisory was mistakenly shown on Sacramento airport monitors, likely due to an internal oversight.

The advisory in question had been lifted in 2019, a year after it was first issued.

TSA has since confirmed that the erroneous notice was taken down at 9 a.m. Manila time.

The 2018 advisory was rescinded in August 2019 following significant upgrades in airport security and close collaboration between Philippine authorities and their US counterparts.

The Department of Homeland Security officially withdrew the bulletin at that time, acknowledging that the Philippines had achieved full compliance with international aviation security standards.

The DoTr emphasized that no new advisories have been issued against NAIA or any other airport in the country since the 2019 rescission.

Together with New NAIA Infra Corp., the airport’s private operator, the DoTr reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the highest levels of safety, security, and compliance across all Philippine airports.