New NAIA eGates to ease queues

Passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) are set to see faster immigration processing as New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) begins the phased activation of new biometric immigration eGates starting in December.

The airport operator said on Saturday that the eGates, powered by Amadeus and to be operated by the Bureau of Immigration (BI), are part of an automated border control system that utilizes passport scanning and facial recognition technology to reduce wait times and enhance throughput. They have already been installed in Terminals 1 and 3, NAIA’s international gateways.

First phase in December

NNIC said the first phase will go live in December, with full deployment expected early next year.

The rollout combines NNIC funding with BI-provided operational components under NAIA’s wider modernization program.

Once activated, the eGates will operate in conjunction with biometric touchpoints already being introduced across check-in, security screening, and boarding.

Make NAIA more comfortable for passengers

“Our goal is to make each part of the airport experience more comfortable for passengers,” NNIC president Ramon S. Ang said. “These eGates will help reduce bottlenecks at immigration and support the broader improvements we have been introducing across NAIA.”

NAIA handled more than 50 million passengers last year, exceeding its original design capacity. NNIC said automation is essential to support smoother passenger flow as travel volumes continue to rise.