Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon said Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) will soon be home to another terminal, but instead of regular travelers, it will exclusively serve private jets and their high-profile passengers.
In a radio interview over the weekend, Dizon said the agency is studying the prospect of establishing a “centralized area” where passengers flying in style can undergo their departure and arrival processes.
“Kumbaga may sariling terminal na nandoon lahat ang immigration, nandoon ang customs. Bago pumunta sa hangar, kailangan muna dumaan dito para maproseso,” he said.
(It’s like a dedicated terminal where immigration and customs are all located. Before going to the hangar, passengers have to go through there first for processing.)
New NAIA Infra Corp., the private operator of NAIA, is currently undertaking several projects to expand NAIA’s capacity as passenger volume grows.
As such, building a standalone terminal that only serves wealthy Filipinos and corporations could be seen as contrary to these efforts.
While he admitted that space in NAIA is a concern, the DOTr chief said he has already engaged with NNIC and government agencies to find a proper solution.
“Mukhang doon na tayo papunta. Kailangan lang pong i-finalize na ang mga plano,” said Dizon.
(It looks like that’s the direction we’re heading. We just need to finalize the plans.)
The DOTr started planning to build a separate facility to serve private jets to curb potential criminal and other anomalous activities.
Last year, it was reported that dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo might have used a private airstrip to flee to Malaysia to evade Philippine authorities. Guo is the alleged mastermind behind an illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO).
Dizon noted that passengers flying in private jets go through their immigration and customs processes inside hangars.
Without a centralized system in sight, this leaves it open for crimes such as human trafficking, illegal drugs, and even to evade authorities.
“Minsan sa dami ng mga hangar, sa dami ng mga private na eroplano, baka hindi na po namo-monitor ng tama ito,” Dizon observed.
(Sometimes, because of the number of hangars and private planes, these might not be properly monitored.)
He said opening a facility for private jets would not only allow for better monitoring but will also strengthen the security and safety of their high-profile passengers.
Based on a report by Asian Sky Group (ASG), the Philippines had a total of 50 private jets by the end of the year.