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NAIA Biometric eGates to Launch in December Ending Long Immigration Lines
Say goodbye to long immigration lines! Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is set to roll out new biometric eGates starting December 2025. The goal is to make getting through immigration faster and smoother.
According to the New NAIA Infra Corp (NNIC), the system uses passport scanning and facial recognition technology to speed up passenger processing. The first phase will start in December at NAIA Terminals 1 and 3, with full deployment expected early next year.
The eGates are part of a bigger plan. NNIC has been gradually adding biometric touchpoints across the airport. These include check-in counters, security screening, and boarding gates. The aim is to let travellers move through the airport with less waiting.
Back in May, the Department of Transportation promised more eGates before the year ends to ease long queues at immigration counters. NNIC is also preparing a new facial recognition system powered by Collins Aerospace. This system would let passengers check in, drop bags, clear security, and board flights using only their face. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that soon, passengers will not even need to pull out their passports.
Also read: Privatizing NAIA: Better Airport or Bigger Burden for Filipinos?
Image credit: NNIC Website
NAIA has been improving in other ways too. Terminal 3 recently opened the 6,000 square-metre Mezzanine Food Hall. It has a wide range of dining options including Kenny Rogers, LA Chicks, Paris Baguette, KFC, Chili’s, Nanyang, BreadTalk, JCO Reserve, and Seattle’s Best Coffee. It makes waiting at the airport more enjoyable.
NNIC took over NAIA operations in September 2024 after winning the bidding in February. They have been working to modernise the airport experience for Filipino travellers.
For Filipinos travelling this holiday season or early next year, the new biometric eGates mean faster entry and exit, less stress, and more time to enjoy everything the airport has to offer.
Featured image credit: NNIC Website
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About Author
Wynona Purl
Wynona Purl is a pop-culture junkie, writer, and editor from the Philippines. She runs an indie style & culture magazine called Modamorph that features artists from the underground scene. A certified chatterbox who loves cats, anything ube, and always has guts and curiosity. For her, life’s fortune always favours the bold. She hopes to see more of the world someday and turn those travels into stories.
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