By Camille A. Aguinaldo

EXPANDING the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) would be the main solution to address the congestion at the country’s main gateway, according to Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares.

“The solution here is not moving the airlines to certain terminals but expanding NAIA,” Ms. Poe told reporters yesterday, March 1, after a Senate hearing on airport congestion.

Ms. Poe, chair of the Senate committee on public services, was responding to the Manila International Airport Authority’s (MIAA) rationalization program to decongest the Manila airport.

The MIAA plan seeks to move international flights to the NAIA Terminals 1 and 3, and domestic flights to Terminals 2 and 4. It also plans to transfer some domestic flights to the Clark International Airport in Pampanga.

At the hearing, MIAA General Manager Eddie V. Monreal said the rationalization plan would utilize the airport terminals based on their construction design.

He noted that Terminal 2, which is currently being used exclusively by Philippine Airlines for both domestic and international flights, was built to accommodate domestic flights only.

Terminal 3, on the other hand, was designed for international flights.

House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez has given MIAA and airline companies a six-month deadline to implement the decongestion program and to transfer some domestic flights to Clark.

CebGo President and Chief Executive Officer Alexander G. Lao, however, expressed the airlines’ reservations regarding MIAA’s terminal reassignment plan, pointing out that moving Cebu Pacific’s domestic flights would add up to 16.6 million passengers in Terminal 2, which is more than its nine million passenger capacity.

He also reiterated an earlier position that Cebu Pacific, which operates in Terminal 3, would need at least one year to transfer its operations and flights to other NAIA terminals and the Clark airport.

Ms. Poe said the MIAA’s rationalization program, which she described as a «band-aid fix”, should be carefully studied.

“Let’s give it more time to study it carefully. Definitely, it cannot be done in 45 days. Six months is okay. But to ensure the safety and convenience of passengers, maybe we can extend it a little. Maybe not one year but definitely a little longer,” she said.

“Even if you transfer it to another terminal, it’s still congested,” she added.

The senator was also cautious on the transfer of some domestic flights to the Clark airport, saying that government still needs to address the connectivity issues between the Pampanga airport and Metro Manila.

“We still have to broaden the study and the plans for Clark. So it’s not yet ready because of the number of domestic flights and the connectivity from Clark to Metro Manila,” she said.

HANGAR RENTAL FEES
Meanwhile, Mr. Alvarez also warned MIAA against issuing identification cards (IDs) to employees of companies that have unpaid rentals for the hangars.

Mr. Monreal revealed during Wednesday’s hearing of the House committee on transportation that there are about P100 million in unpaid rental fees from various firms.

“’Wag ninyong bigyan ng (Don’t given them an) ID. Tapos file na ng kaso (Then file a case),” Mr. Alvarez said.

He also urged MIAA officials to seek the help of the Office of the Solicitor General in settling the ownership issue over the Philippine Village Hotel, which is currently being contested by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and a certain Panlilio. The land is owned by MIAA. — with a report from Minde Nyl R. dela Cruz

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