Ongoing airport upgrades and the recent successful bidding for the modernization of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) are part of the Philippine government’s efforts to sustain compliance to international aviation standards, Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said.
Bautista issued the statement as he led the Philippine delegation during the opening of the Philippine Pavilion at the Singapore Airshow 2024 on Tuesday, Feb. 20, where he also invited aviation schools as well as air cargo integrators to consider locating to the Philippines.
Bautista said that compliance to international aviation standards will ensure efficient operations especially at the aviation sector and will likewise provide passengers with improved travel experience and cost-effective cargo transport.
“The challenge is sustained compliance to these standards to ensure efficient operations would translate to improved travel experience and cost-effective cargo transport,” Bautista said.
During the airshow, the DOTr chief cited other significant strides in Philippine aviation such as the recognition of the training center of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines as ICAO’s Asian center of excellence, as well as the successful private sector-led operations of Clark International Airport and Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
The Clark airport operations, according to Bautista, will make the Clark Special Economic Zone a mega-logistics hub with its infrastructure flagship programs, transforming it as a leading regional aerotropolis within the next five years.
“The DOTr is also improving inter-island and inter-country mobility by developing regional airports throughout the country. These airport development must complement the upgrade in aviation training curriculum to be able to sustain the high quality of Filipino aircraft technicians and mechanics,” said Bautista.
“I therefore invite aviation schools as well as air cargo integrators to consider locating in our strategically located and fully supported air hubs to take advantage of our economy’s sharp growth trajectory,” he added.