The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has reinstated the “mandatory shoe removal policy” for air travelers departing for overseas destinations as part of enhanced security arrangements, according to the Office of Transportation Security (OTS).
The security rule was reintroduced on July 10, reviving the more than two decades old policy prompted by a failed terror attack on a passenger aircraft in December 2001.
In a report from Philippine Star, the global shoe removal policy was established following an attempted terror attack on an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami, where a terrorist tried to detonate a homemade bomb hidden in his shoes. Alert crew members and passengers foiled the attack, leading to the arrest of the terrorist at Logan International Airport in Boston.
OTS spokesperson Kim Marquez clarified that as of December 1, 2022, most of the X-ray machines at NAIA Terminal 1 have been removed to create more space for departing travelers and their luggage during security checks.
“There will be only one security check and that is at the final check right after the immigration area where high-tech X-ray machines, body scanners and metal detectors are in place to ensure all passengers are well screened,” Marquez said.
The decision to remove most X-ray machines was made in response to concerns from travelers, as conveyed by the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) management, regarding “too much security check at NAIA.” The aim is to reduce stress for arriving and departing passengers while still ensuring airport security.
MIAA and the Airport Security Committee (ASC), in consultation with airline representatives and various stakeholders, including the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group (PNP-Avsegroup), jointly approved fewer X-ray security checks at NAIA. Instead, the focus will be on increasing the number of armed personnel and implementing foot patrols with K-9 bomb and drug-sniffing dogs at the terminal lobby.
According to the report, banned materials would be confiscated right at the check-in counters to avoid or minimize delays in the processing of travel papers.
