Gov’t won’t close down NAIA, Clark for Bulacan airport — Diokno
The proposed “aerotropolis” in Bulacan should compete with the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and Clark International Airport, one of the Duterte administration’s economic managers said yesterday.
In a briefing, Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said the government will not shutdown the existing airports near Metro Manila to favor the profitability of the San Miguel Holdings Corp.’s international “aerotropolis” proposal.
“Our condition is very clear that there will be no commitment on the part of the government to transfer flights from Clark or NAIA to Bulacan. They have to compete to make the airport better, more attractive so that airline companies will voluntarily locate in Bulacan,” Diokno said.
Last April, President Rodrigo R. Duterte approved the 1735.63-billion airport proposal submitted by the San Miguel Corp.’s unit, a facility that once completed should help ease congestion at NAIA.
San Miguel's proposed new international "aerotropolis" involves an airport covering 1,168 hectares and a city complex to be built at a 2,500-hectare area along Manila Bay in Bulakan, Bulacan.
The planned 50-year airport project will entail building six parallel runways with an initial annual capacity of 100 million passengers, or over triple the NAIA.
But San Miguel’s unsolicited proposal is still “subject to final review of concession agreement” before it goes to a Swiss Challenge where other groups will be invited to make competing offers.
Meanwhile, Diokno said that 28 airport projects for construction, rehabilitation and upgrade are listed in the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) priority agenda.
Of the 28, three international airport projects – Lal-Lo, Puerto Princesa, and Mactan-Cebu (and four domestic airport projects – Tuguegarao, Calbayog), Ozamis, and Naga – have already been finished.
The Clark International Airport expansion project is due to be completed on June 2020.
These projects are projected to upgrade the country’s aviation industry, and will ensure greater regional accessibility, Diokno said.
In the long run, this will propel a sustained economic growth through an improved and more convenient movement of people and products, and generate quality jobs for Filipinos, he added.
Equipping airports with night-rating capabilities allows them to accommodate evening flights, thereby increasing their daily service capacity.
As of October 2018, 20 out of the existing 42 airports nationwide have already been night-rated.
In 2017, four airports – Legazpi, Roxas, Dumaguete, and Caticlan – were equipped with night-rating capabilities. And early this year, the Tuguegarao airport has also been night-rated.
Four more airports – Naga, Dipolog, Cotabato, and Cauayan – are targeted to be completed this year.
With a 2.1-kilometer runway to accommodate heavier aircraft, the Lal-lo International Airport in Cagayan commenced operations last March 2018.
With this, the airport is now capable of catering to commercial jet aircrafts and other heavier aircrafts, besides chartered flights.
The Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) also aims to fast-track the construction of the remaining runway facilities for smoother and safer flights.
Meanwhile, the Bohol Panglao International Airport is scheduled for inauguration on November 22, 2018.
The NAIA is also in line for rehabilitation. The four-year project involves improvements and expansion of terminals, as well as the construction of additional runways, taxiways, passenger terminals and other support infrastructure.
The 1101-billion upgrade is seen to benefit 65 million passengers per year, and will be funded through unsolicited proposal, subject to Swiss challenge.
Notably, through this administration’s efforts, NAIA, the country’s main international airport, has risen from being dubbed as one of the world’s worst airports into the 10th most-improved airport in the world.