Airport exec doubts credibility of 'worst airport' survey

MANILA, Philippines - The head of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) that oversees the operations of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) dismissed a ranking scheme which again voted the airport's Terminal 1 is the world's worst.

MIAA General Manager Jose Angel Honrado said that travel website SleepingInAirports.net's claims are not backed by scientific guidelines.

"It's a rehash issue. Wala namang basis 'yan e. Nung 2010, ganoon din. Ano basis n'yan? Sino na-survey? Ano ang population base mo? Ilan ang na-survey d'yan? ... Hindi natin alan kung sino 'yan e," Honrado told a state news outfit.

He also said NAIA Terminal 1 has undergone repairs and improvements since 2010, the year it was first given the title. Last year, NAIA Terminal 1 was named the worst in Asia.

Related: NAIA 1 rehab to begin in December

"Ayoko na i-dignify yan. It’s a xerox copy of their report in 2010," the airport official added.

The website ranks airports based on traveler votes in terms of comfort, cleanliness, conveniences and customer service.

Based on the report, the NAIA Terminal 1 is on top of the "worst" list followed by airports in Bergamo, Calcutta, Islamabad, Paris Beauvais, Chennai, Frankfurt Hahn, Mumbai, Rome Fiumicino, and Los Angeles.

"Most other countries will at least try to do their best to make their main international airport look at least a bit presentable, realizing that it's the main gateway for foreign visitors into and out of the country but at this airport everything seems to have been done to make the experience as horrible as possible," SleepingInAirports quoted a traveler in its NAIA page.

However, not all reviews about the airport on the said website are negative.

"I have traveled extensively around the world and slept in dozens of airports and never have I had such a good night sleep and felt so safe. What a pleasant surprise. No noisy cleaners, very few announcements, in an area away from the major foot traffic. Note some of the power points are up high on the columns next to the seats," a certain Hayden, a traveler, said on the same page.