ATR bullish on PH, cites aviation push

SINGAPORE: Franco- Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR is optimistic of growing its presence in the Philippines given the current administration’s push to establish new aviation hubs outside Metro Manila.

“[I]t’s going to drive local communities to actually travel more and make traveling easier by improving the infrastructure of airports,” ATR sales director Laurent Janitza told The Manila

Times following a press briefing late on Monday.

The Transportation department is pushing for alternatives to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) such as San Miguel Corp.’s Bulacan airport project, the Cavite provincial government’s Sangley airport proposal and the expansion of the Clark International Airport in Pampanga.

Regional airports are also being developed under the Duterte administration’s “Build Build Build” infrastructure program.

The need for new gateways to the Philippines was highlighted earlier this month after a Xiamen Air jet crashlanded at NAIA, causing massive flight delays for four days.

Given the Philippines’ archipelagic nature, Janitza said ATR’s turboprop offerings were particularly suitable for domestic carriers.

“[A]irlines, in the end, would need equipment to meet the demands,” he added.

An e- commerce boom is also expected to boost the requirement for freighter or cargo aircraft, which Janitza said would be able “to bring goods to more remote areas.”

Low- cost carrier Cebu Pacific in July revealed plans to enter the cargo market via the conversion of its ATR 72-500 passenger aircraft into freighters.

“With the freighter aircraft, we will further support the growing needs of the logistics industry, especially as the

Philippines’ e- commerce businesses expand rapidly and look for faster delivery schedules,” Cebu Pacific president and CEO Lance Gokongwei said at that time.

Cebu Pacific and regional carrier AirSwift

are ATR’s clients in the Philippines.

Asked if ATR was looking to add to its local partners, Janitza replied that the group was in talks with other carriers but declined to provide details.

In a related development, the Transportation department said on Tuesday that the Bicol International Airport was 50 percent complete after construction resumed this year following an 11-year

pause.

“The construction of the runway, taxiway apron and perimeter fence has been completed, while land-side facilities, which includes 17 buildings for cargo, air traffic control, material recovery facilities, and water reservoir is still ongoing with a 30.39% completion rate and its passenger terminal building with a 5.78% completion rate,” the

department said in a Facebook post.

“Once completed by 2020, the Bicol International Airport is expected to accommodate 2 million passengers annually with the new and higher capacity facilities and enhanced safety of airport operation. This will also boost tourism arrival in Bicol and help Albay become an economic powerhouse,” it added.