Airlines on Monday expressed concern over the planned construction of several airports in Luzon, saying this could result in safety and over capacity issues.
Air Asia, Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines said that while they were supporting the government’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ program, having five airports would create havoc.
“With a fifth airport in Luzon, we’ll be creating more havoc. We hope we don’t see airplanes bumping into each other,” Air Asia president and chief executive Dexter Comendador said during a public forum on competition conducted by the Philippine Competition Commission.
Comendador said the government should reach a decision whether to keep the existing airports, or build new ones. He was referring to the existing airports in Parañaque City, Clark and Subic and the proposed gateways in Cavite and Bulacan.
“It’s okay to build more of these airports, but you have to decide which ones to keep. You can’t just say yes to everything. That is my concern as a pilot, in terms of safety. Which ones do you like to survive in the next 10 years? Is it Manila? Is it Clark, with the one in Bulacan or is just Manila and Bulacan? But it cannot be all of them,” he said.