The departure drop-off zone at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 has been restructured, following the crash that occurred last week, May 4, 2025.
After the crash injured four people and took the lives of two individuals, New NAIA Infrastructure, the airport’s operator, committed to redesigning the departure drop-off areas at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 to improve overall safety. NNIC also stated that an audit of all security bollards around NAIA would roll out. At the time of writing, there is no update on the status of the bollard inspection or the state of the drop-off area at Terminal 2.
The vehicles that will enter the departure drop-off zone at Terminal 1 will now follow a parallel layout, as opposed to the previous diagonal layout that was in place since the 1990s. With this new layout, vehicles will now face away from foot traffic, and the curbside entirely.
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From an update shared by the NNIC, it looks like the departure area was repainted to form the new parallel layout. There is also a wider gap between the inner drop-off lane and the outer lane, which is meant to provide an easier way into the secondary curbside and out of the departure area entirely.
The NNIC also shared that traffic marshals are on the ground to help motorists navigate the new drop-off structure. The reception and impact of this new layout will most likely inform how the drop-off area in Terminal 2 will be redesigned.
