Last week’s hellish situation at Manila’s international airport brought to light years of neglect and failure to upgrade the country’s gateway. Other neighboring countries like Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea and even Indonesia can be proud of their airports, while the Philippines has been left behind. We are the only country in the world whose international airport has only one runway which often has to be repaired because of cracks that make takeoff and landing risky.
Thousands of departing passengers, many of them overseas Filipino workers, were stranded at Naia’s Terminal 1 when the Chinese plane Xiamen Airways skidded off the rain-drenched runway. The crippled plane on the runway wrought havoc on departing passengers who tried to get bookings on other airlines.
OFWs were the ones most seriously affected by the airport closure as they had work contracts that require them to be back at work after taking a break in Manila and the provinces. The maddening scene at the departure lounge of Terminal 1 resembled an evacuation center for people displaced by the continuous monsoon rains.
Arriving flights were diverted to Clark International Airport. Relatives who came to meet the arrivals at Naia had to travel by road to Clark in Pampanga.
The chaotic situation at Manila’s premier gateway brings to the fore the government’s Build, Build, Build infrastructure projects. If the government does not have the funds, then it should fast-track industrialist Ramon Ang’s plan to build a new airport in Bulacan, Bulacan. The proposed project that includes four runways costs P15 billion. This would be a big relief to passengers who are residents of Central Luzon. They will be spared the grief of traveling long drive and heavy traffic to Naia in Pasay City.
A consortium of companies that include Metro Pacific, JG Summit Holdings, Aboitiz, Asia’s Emerging Dragons and Filinvest proposed a P106-billion plan to upgrade present facilities at the Naia for a concession period of 15 years to recover investments.
The country wants to bring in foreign tourists. But how can we when such a mess up at the airport greets them upon arrival? Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat expressed her concern that this latest blot on our airport will affect tourist arrivals. We were finally able to rid ourselves of the stigma as the worst airport in the world. This, after Naia’s three terminals, were cleaned and spruced up. But someone forgot the most basic requirement of an international airport which is to have safe facilities and at least two other runways.
As a passenger, I always experience arriving but having to go on a holding pattern circling over the airport because no runway and docking berth are readily available.
There is another proposal to build an alternate airport in Sangley Point, the former US naval base in Cavite. An upgraded Naia, Ang’s proposed Bulacan airport and the Clark International Airport in Pampanga could be the long-term solution to ease congestion of flights at the Naia.
Under the Passenger’s Bill of Rights, Xiamen Airlines will take care of the hotel, billeting and food expenses of its passengers. But the departing passengers on the hundred of cancelled flights had to fend for themselves as they massed at Terminal 1 trying to get booking on other airlines. But even if they did, it took a full day and a half to remove the damaged Xiamen Airplane.
The pilot, a South Korean recruited by the Chinese airline, was found negative for drug and alcohol use. His plane, a 737-800 was like a beached whale on the runway obstructing arriving and departing flights.
Senator Grace Poe has summoned transportation and airport officials and airline executives to a Senate hearing on the incident. She wants to know why it took 36 hours to remove the crippled plane that led to the chaotic situation that paralyzed flight operations.
The Naia is handling 42-million passengers a year—way beyond its 30-million capacity. Two other alternate airports aside from Clark could ease congestion of flights at Naia.
Transportation Secretary Arturo Tugade has apologized for the havoc that saw thousands of passengers stranded at the airport. But an apology is not enough. Tugade must make sure such an incident does not happen again by putting in place equipment that can clear immediately a plane crash on the runway.
His lack of foresight adds to the frustration of President Duterte that makes him think of quitting the presidency. But instead of resignation, the President should instead fire his non-performing Cabinet officials. Take it out on them, Mr. President, instead of on yourself.