The Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) has called on the Senate for the approval of three crucial legislative measures aimed at overhauling the governance framework of the country’s airports.
In a statement issued on May 27, the foreign chambers group said they submitted a letter to the Senate to emphasize their position.
JFC emphasized the importance of the Civil Aviation Authority Act of the Philippines (CAAP) Law amendments to strengthen CAAP's role in safety oversight by enhancing human resource development, fortifying the board, and aligning with global safety standards.
Second, the group pushed for the passage of the Philippine Airports Authority to separate the conflicting functions of the CAAP as an airport regulator and operator.
Lastly, foreign businessmen batted for the creation of the Philippine Transportation Safety Board to strengthen the government’s ability to investigate accidents and improve safety.
According to JFC, their call comes after numerous flights in and out of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last week were delayed due to a technical issue with the navigational air traffic management system.
The JFC letter reads, in part, “These reforms are essential to enhancing the safety, efficiency, and overall quality of both domestic and international airports in the Philippines.”
The group further noted that the mentioned legislative reforms were also recommended in Senate Committee Report 39, filed on March 23, 2023, following the legislative inquiry into the air traffic management system glitch at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and calls for the appropriate structure in place to prevent similar transport incidents from happening in the future.
The JFC is a coalition of the American, Australian-New Zealand, Canadian, European, Japanese, and Korean chambers and PAMURI.