By Ma. Cristina Arayata
MANILA – The fatal crash at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 that killed two people and injured four others on May 4 triggered renewed scrutiny of the airport’s bollard system, the protective barriers meant to prevent vehicles from breaching critical areas.
The PHP8-million project, completed in 2019, failed to stop the vehicle that crashed into the departure area, raising questions about the effectiveness and integrity of the installation.
Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Eric Ines, in an interview with the Philippine News Agency, traced the origins of the project to international security audits.
In 2017, the United Kingdom’s Department for Transport flagged the absence of “hostile vehicle mitigation measures” at NAIA, including bollards or concrete planters, citing risks of vehicle-borne attacks.
The audit came amid then-active flights between Manila and London operated by Philippine Airlines.
Despite the warning, bollards were not installed until 2019, following a second audit held 2018 by Australian Homeland Security which echoed the same concerns across all NAIA terminals.
That year, Kontrak Enterprises was awarded the project to install bollards at Terminals 1 to 4.
Ines said he no longer has access to full procurement documents but presented disbursement and completion certificates showing the work was done between April and July 2019.
He emphasized that government procurement does not prioritize the lowest bid, but rather qualifications and capacity to deliver.
Following the deadly crash, MIAA’s engineering team, led by Assistant Manager Antonio Mendoza, concluded that the bollards installed at Terminal 1 were not embedded deeply enough into the ground.
However, engineers warned that digging deeper could have compromised the structural integrity of the arrival area beneath.
“There’s no way for me to conduct a crash test now,” Ines admitted. “I also can’t place blame. Many of those involved in the project have either retired or passed on. This went through a proper bidding process and without proof, I cannot speculate.”
Pressed on accountability, Ines declined to second-guess decisions made by his predecessor, former MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal.
“I can’t say, ‘It should have been done differently,’ without evidence,” he said.
In the wake of the incident, the airport’s current operator, New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC), began implementing corrective measures.
These include reinforcing bollard foundations and modifying the Terminal 1 drop-off layout from diagonal to parallel to enhance pedestrian and passenger safety.
“They are also evaluating other options to strengthen bollard performance,” Ines said.
In a statement released May 6, NNIC said the changes, including increased police presence, are part of a broader effort to provide “an added layer of protection” for travelers, airport staff and visitors. (PNA)
