Gov't urged to improve NAIA cargo services

A customs brokers group is urging the government to break the cargo monopoly at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) by opening a gate with ramp access that would allow other warehouses to transport cargo directly to and from the aircraft.

- CATHERINE TALAVERA

In an open letter addressed to President Marcos, the Philippine Chamber of Customs Brokers Inc. (PCCBI) said the closure of two gates at NAIA has resulted in only one operator having ramp access.

"If this were a horse race, all the gates would be locked except for one. And the bettors, in this case the 37 foreign airlines, have no choice but to sign up with the lone runner," the PCCBI said.

The group claimed that two gates—one in 2020 and another earlier this year—were shut down by court injunctions based on dubious complaints.