The Ninoy Aquino International Airport has again topped the list of notorious airports put out by travel-oriented website SleepingInAirports Tuesday.
NAIA, the “worst airport in the world,” is the country's biggest and busiest airport.
But the list identified only NAIA Terminal 1, which was completed in 1981 with a capacity of some 4.5 million passengers annually.
It made no mention of other terminals servicing the NAIA. Three new terminals have been built in recent years though only two are now in operation.
NAIA Terminal 1 was followed by the following airports which rounded out the top 10 in the “worst airports” list:
-Bergamo (Italy)
-Calcutta (India)
-Islamabad (Pakistan)
-Paris Beauvais (France)
-Chennai (India)
-Frankfurt Hahn (Germany)
-Mumbai (India)
-Rome Fiumicino (Italy)
-Los Angeles (U.S.)
“When selecting an airport to declare as the "worst," travelers were asked to consider the four C’s: comfort, conveniences, cleanliness and customer service,” the website said.
Among the factors that may contribute to the dubious distinction are crowded airports; long delays or layovers; dirty bathrooms; lack of food; as well as unfriendly staff.
SleepingInAirports quoted one of its reviewers as saying that NAIA has been neglected despite being the gateway to the country for many tourists.
“Most other countries will at least try to do their best to make their main international airport look at least a bit presentable,” user wandringcat123 said in a review.
“[A]t this airport everything seems to have been done to make the experience as horrible as possible,” the user added.
A P1-billion renovation plan has been approved for the airport. The project will include structural and aesthetic works as well as the construction of an exit taxiway.
The government has vowed to finish the project before the end of President Benigno Aquino III’s term in 2016, as part of efforts to boost tourism.
Singapore’s Changi Airport, on the other hand, was named the best airport the world this year, followed by Seoul Incheon (Korea). and Hong Kong.
Rounding out the top 10 best airports are Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Bangkok (Thailand), Tokyo Narita (Japan), Taipei Taoyuan (Taiwan), New Delhi and Hyderabad (India).