Philippine Customs and PairCargo Restore Normal Cargo Operations at NAIA

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 28, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) confirmed that the months-long cargo congestion at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has ended, with airport cargo operations returning to normal. The recovery involves BOC-NAIA, People's Air Cargo & Warehousing Co., Inc. (PairCargo), and cargo-related enterprises, with remedial measures including expedited cargo processing and transshipment, prioritization of critical cargo, continuous monitoring of warehouse conditions, and resolution of operational issues in the cargo release process.

Previously, NAIA's air cargo warehousing and customs clearance capacity came under pressure. PairCargo released a cumulative total of 4.971 million kilograms of cargo between May and July 27, 2026, of which 4.308 million kilograms were cleared within the first 27 days of July; as of July 27, 2.954 million kilograms of cargo remained pending processing. At the peak, approximately 755 air cargo containers (ULDs) were stored in temporary external areas, which had been reduced to 40 as of July 21.

In July, PairCargo added three temporary cargo staging areas, utilized the Duty Free/Columbia Complex area to set up satellite processing facilities, and activated a new satellite warehouse, with an expected monthly processing capacity of approximately 24.24 million kilograms. BOC-NAIA extended operating hours to 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily, including weekends, with 24-hour operations for the cargo release process. Previously, PairCargo's average cargo release rate was approximately 99% in the first quarter, dropping to 81% in the second quarter.

Following the restoration of normal operations, the BOC stated it will continue to monitor cargo flow at NAIA and maintain coordination with cargo handlers and related enterprises. Texas Instruments Philippines stated that after the implementation of the relevant remedial measures, 99% of its critical cargo was cleared within days; the company employs more than 4,500 people in the Philippines. Philippine semiconductor and electronics industry organizations, as well as medical technology, pharmaceutical, automotive, and electronics companies, also participated in the coordination to address the cargo congestion.