Aviation safety
The tourism marketing campaign must be working; several foreign carriers are reportedly seeking more ßights to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Now the problem is meeting the rising demand. We donÕt have enough hotel rooms, and the NAIA is overwhelmed as it is. Reports said the government has had to turn down requests for additional ßights to Manila from at least two foreign airlines.
Instead Malacaang is encouraging foreign carriers to take advantage of the pocket open skies policy and use airports outside Metro Manila.
If the response is positive, it can boost travel and tourism. But Þrst we must be able to provide a smooth and comfortable if not a red carpet welcome for travelers at our airports.
MalacaangÕs encouragement was issued yesterday as a Cebu PaciÞc Airbus A320 ßight from Manila continued to obstruct the runway at the Davao City International Airport (DIA).
The plane was Þnally pushed out of the grassy portion of the lone runway at past 5 p.m. yesterday and towed to the old Davao airport by combined teams from Cebu PaciÞc and DIA. MindanaoÕs principal gateway was expected to Þnally resume operations last night, after being shut down for two days.
Some passengers said they saw a part of the plane burst into ßames as it prepared to land Sunday night at the DIA in a downpour. The cause of the accident still has to be established, although there were reports yesterday that probers were zeroing in on human error.
Several passengers complained about poor response to their needs after the rough landing and after they had disembarked. Cebu PaciÞc CEO Lance Gokongwei apologized the other night and said the accident was a Òlearning experienceÓ for the airline.
It should also be a learning experience for the DIA management, and for our transportation ofÞcials in general. Airports, especially international gateways, should bear the responsibility of providing medical assistance on the ground to passengers and crew in an emergency landing.
They should also have the facilities to clear the runway Ð especially if there is only one Ð of all obstructions ASAP.
We can tolerate having goats and dogs running around the runway in a small airstrip (IÕve seen such scenes). But we canÕt afford to have an international airport shut down for two whole days because the runway cannot be cleared of an aircraft with all its parts largely intact including its landing wheels.
Davao investors placed the economic losses from the two-day airport shutdown at P247 million.
* * * Cebu PaciÞc is hurting, but itÕs a safe bet that the airline, our second national carrier, will recover quickly. The airline popularized the no-frills ßight, making air travel accessible even to the poor and inspiring copycat schemes. I know household helpers and blue-collar workers in Metro Manila who hail these budget ßights along with the roll-on, roll-off (RORO) facilities (also welcomed by wealthy investors) for making it easier for them to go to the provinces for vacations or emergencies.
For many Filipinos, airfare is still the principal consideration in choosing an airline. On no-frills ßights, the seats are cramped (but itÕs the same on regular coach sections), luggage allowance is acutely limited and there may be no free food, but the fare is cheap and the ßight will take you where you want to go.
With so much faith placed by the average Pinoy traveler on budget ßights, airline operators should put a premium on at least one aspect: passenger safety. When it comes to public safety, it canÕt be a case of getting what you pay for.
Regular maintenance of aircraft and the employment of well-trained pilots and other aircraft personnel can help ensure a safe ßight.
One local carrier in particular is gaining notoriety for its poorly maintained aircraft, reportedly obtained dirt-cheap because of age and high mileage. When the planes break down, which is often, passengers are told that they will have to wait from several hours up to two days for the next ßight on the same carrier.
Foreign diplomats and investors have told me horror stories about this carrier, which ßies to the countryÕs top tourist destinations. Those are not budget passengers; they pay a premium for their travel packages and take the carrier chießy because there are few alternatives.
The government will also have to improve its regulation of companies offering chartered ßights. The fares are premium but the passenger volume is low so some of the companies cut corners, violating regulations and allowing student pilots to ßy aircraft with paying passengers. Some student pilots shoulder the expensive aviation fuel for such ßights.
Shortly before interior secretary Jesse Robredo died in a plane crash, a Norwegian traveler was also killed in an accident involving the same carrier.
If we want to attract more European travelers Ð a large market especially for high-value tourists Ð we need to address aviation safety concerns, which prevent our carriers from ßying directly to Europe. WeÕre still waiting for international aviation authorities (and not the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) to announce that the country has met aviation safety standards so the direct ßights can resume.
And if we want European carriers to resume direct ßights to the Philippines and take advantage of pocket open skies, we should improve our airport facilities outside Metro Manila.
Davao City International Airport is supposed to be among the better gateways outside Manila. The recent two-day shutdown does not inspire conÞdence in Philippine aviation safety.