The government is stepping up efforts to improve and fast-track passenger processing at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other terminals through new technologies that reduce human intervention, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said.

Under current procedures, passengers spend around 40 to 45 minutes from check-in to completing security and immigration checks. The target speed is 20 to 30 minutes.

“We are working on ways to shorten the process so our kababayan won’t be burdened,” Remulla added.

One key upgrade is the introduction of the IKAS system by Nuvei Infrastructure Corporation, which will handle passenger identification. “It will make things more objective because there’s no human intervention. Once the passport is scanned, it immediately shows if the passenger has sanctions or any issues,” Remulla explained.

Most immigration officers will now focus on secondary inspections, targeting possible trafficking victims or individuals involved in trafficking. The government is also coordinating with Interpol and employing advanced passenger information systems to detect passengers who should be denied entry.

Remulla shared that meetings are ongoing, with one held yesterday and another scheduled on Thursday, to ensure timely completion of these upgrades.

Though the airport is operated by the private sector, the government’s cooperation aims to ensure smoother operations and reduce inspection delays, ultimately benefiting travelers.

When asked about the timeline, Remulla said: “We are doing everything we can to speed it up.”