Business calls for urgent upgrading, not closure, of NAIA
Published Aug 20, 2018 12:00 am
By Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat
Business leaders yesterday strongly objected to plans to close the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the country’s main international gateway located at the heart of Metro Manila, and instead call for urgent upgrading the old facility.
“We strongly object to the closing of NAIA – which we consider as a very drastic and counter-productive move. NAIA is a strategically located air gateway supported by a road system already in place and with proximately located rail and future subway lines to serve the needs of air travellers in Mega Manila and southern Luzon. Also, Manila’s first international cruise terminal is being planned to be built nearby in the next several years,” read a statement from the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP).
Instead of closing the NAIA, MAP urged the immediate upgrading of NAIA is the most cost-effective and fastest solution to the severe congestion currently plaguing the Manila airport. Concurrently, the expansion of the Clark airport shall ensure that future air traffic bottlenecks are prevented.
It said that the adoption of an airport complementation strategy whereby the existing NAIA and Clark international airports are developed and operated as an integrated system with the two airports complementing each other, ideally with an express rail link in place.
Under this dual airport system, NAIA should be upgraded expeditiously, preferably undertaken by the private sector, including a possible close-in parallel runway for emergencies, such as the recent closure of the main runway. The upgrade should realize the optimal safe capacity of NAIA. The Clark International Airport should be expanded to relieve the current demand pressure on NAIA and, more importantly, meet future demand growth.
A city airport, such as NAIA, has the great advantage of convenient access, besides providing support to the local economy. Its benefits should not be neglected. Many metropolitan cities in the world recognize this reality. Their old city airports, instead of being phased out as previously intended in favor of newer large-capacity airports in the suburbs, are being upgraded.
For example, Tokyo Haneda is being expanded to supplement Narita. Shanghai has its HongXiao in addition to Pudong, London City airport at the Canary Wharf, Reagan airport in Washington D.C., La Guardia in New York City. Even Bangkok is keeping Don Muang with Suvarnabhumi Airport.
NAIA and Clark require only upgrades while a new airport complex, from the ground up, will require an exhaustive study and a well-considered approach as seen in projects of such nature abroad. In particular, aside from its financial viability, a credible environmental impact assessment must be made. Its complementary, coordinated, regulated role and impact within the existing aviation system must be weighed carefully, aside from the resulting user costs, as building from scratch will definitely involve much more time, higher costs of development and operation, among others.
“We urge the government to fast track the approval of the private-sector upgrade of NAIA, particularly airside and landside improvements, based on value for money principles. While physical improvements are slated, airport management, including maintenance and upkeep, must be raised to world standards. Terminal assignments among airlines must be rationalized without further delay to resolve the severe congestions in Terminal 2, which is being currently used for both domestic and international operations although not so designed and configured,” MAP’s statement concluded.
Business leaders yesterday strongly objected to plans to close the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the country’s main international gateway located at the heart of Metro Manila, and instead call for urgent upgrading the old facility.
“We strongly object to the closing of NAIA – which we consider as a very drastic and counter-productive move. NAIA is a strategically located air gateway supported by a road system already in place and with proximately located rail and future subway lines to serve the needs of air travellers in Mega Manila and southern Luzon. Also, Manila’s first international cruise terminal is being planned to be built nearby in the next several years,” read a statement from the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP).
Instead of closing the NAIA, MAP urged the immediate upgrading of NAIA is the most cost-effective and fastest solution to the severe congestion currently plaguing the Manila airport. Concurrently, the expansion of the Clark airport shall ensure that future air traffic bottlenecks are prevented.
It said that the adoption of an airport complementation strategy whereby the existing NAIA and Clark international airports are developed and operated as an integrated system with the two airports complementing each other, ideally with an express rail link in place.
Under this dual airport system, NAIA should be upgraded expeditiously, preferably undertaken by the private sector, including a possible close-in parallel runway for emergencies, such as the recent closure of the main runway. The upgrade should realize the optimal safe capacity of NAIA. The Clark International Airport should be expanded to relieve the current demand pressure on NAIA and, more importantly, meet future demand growth.
A city airport, such as NAIA, has the great advantage of convenient access, besides providing support to the local economy. Its benefits should not be neglected. Many metropolitan cities in the world recognize this reality. Their old city airports, instead of being phased out as previously intended in favor of newer large-capacity airports in the suburbs, are being upgraded.
For example, Tokyo Haneda is being expanded to supplement Narita. Shanghai has its HongXiao in addition to Pudong, London City airport at the Canary Wharf, Reagan airport in Washington D.C., La Guardia in New York City. Even Bangkok is keeping Don Muang with Suvarnabhumi Airport.
NAIA and Clark require only upgrades while a new airport complex, from the ground up, will require an exhaustive study and a well-considered approach as seen in projects of such nature abroad. In particular, aside from its financial viability, a credible environmental impact assessment must be made. Its complementary, coordinated, regulated role and impact within the existing aviation system must be weighed carefully, aside from the resulting user costs, as building from scratch will definitely involve much more time, higher costs of development and operation, among others.
“We urge the government to fast track the approval of the private-sector upgrade of NAIA, particularly airside and landside improvements, based on value for money principles. While physical improvements are slated, airport management, including maintenance and upkeep, must be raised to world standards. Terminal assignments among airlines must be rationalized without further delay to resolve the severe congestions in Terminal 2, which is being currently used for both domestic and international operations although not so designed and configured,” MAP’s statement concluded.