CAAP tightens airport security for Undas 2019

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Iloilo warned passengers of the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan, Iloilo to be at the airport two hours before their flight to prevent delays as security measures will be heightened for “Oplan Ayos Byahe: Undas 2019.”

Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Iloilo terminal supervisor Art Parreño said the Iloilo airport was placed under full alert status since Friday in preparation for the All Souls’ and Saints’ Days break or Undas 2019.

“There are no threats against the airport but we are on full alert status for the Oplan Biyaheng Ayos: Undas 2019 from Friday to November 4, 2019,” he said in a phone interview on Monday.

Parreño said they will be conducting random checks on all the vehicles that enter the airport.

“If we do full check, every passenger that goes into Iloilo Airport will be checked and that will entail a lot of time, effort, and of course, that will stall passengers incoming especially if they are on time constraint in their flight details. So we do random check which is a matter of five and ten vehicles, we go under the chassis, open the windows and trunks of the vehicles,” he added.

Parreño added that security measures will also be tightened from Gates 1 to the final gates and the check in process.

He reminded passengers to be at the airport as early as two hours or one and a half hours before their flight.

“They need to allot one hour and a half or two hours for the procedures that we are trying to execute in order to make sure that the cargos, passengers, aircraft, airport are safe and secure in the entire Undas,” Parreño emphasized.

He also advised the passengers to travel light if they can.

“Ilonggos as per culture, mahilig sa pasalubong. Even though isa lang mabyahe, sampu ang mag-send off so kahit isang bag eh magiging tatlo yan. For those people who know what really travel is, we really want them to travel light,” he added.

While the Office of Transportation Security of the Department of Transportation recently announced that folded umbrellas are now allowed in both carry-on and check-in baggage, Parreño reminded that cane umbrellas are still prohibited.

As early as now, Parreño said they noticed a surge in passengers at the Iloilo International Airport.

“Ma-feel naton nga there is an influx of passengers this several weeks because of the pre-Undas week. Previously, we had 40 flights, but now we can count it to 55-56 flights,” he noted.