Philippine budget carrier Cebu Pacific supports Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) moves to decongest Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
“Air traffic congestion (ATC) in NAIA can cause delays from 4 minutes to 81 minutes per flight. An aircraft assigned for a roster of flights experiencing delays due to ATC can end up with a domino effect of delays, to the disadvantage of the passenger,” said CEB vice president for Flight Operations Capt. Victor Custodio in a press statement.
“International airports such as Singapore do not have pilot schools or general aviation operating out of their country’s premiere gateways. We see CAAP’s efforts to lessen air traffic in Manila as a very positive move that can only gain positive results for all passengers,” he added.
In 2010 alone, CEB recorded almost 6,800 minor and major delayed flights caused by air traffic in Manila. The accumulated delay caused by ATCs last year was approximately 38,000 minutes or 633 hours.
According to news reports, CAAP Director General Ramon Gutierrez has said NAIA runways were already congested with regular flights. An option he said was to allow provincial airports to house aviation schools, a move which could also augment the provincial airports’ revenues.
CEB also called on the Department of Transportation and Communications to equip secondary airports with appropriate equipment that would allow them to handle night flights and in the process let airlines spread out their flights throughout the day; hire additional airport tower and aerodome staff to complement night-rated airports; set up additional Customs, Immigration and Quarantine services in airports outside Manila; and immediately implement the Manila International Airport Authority’s plan to build additional rapid exit ways.
CAAP’s Gutierrez earlier said the agency is looking at compelling domestic airlines to reduce their schedules or scale down the frequency of their flights during peak traffic hours or between 7am and 4 pm.
CAAP may also limit general aviation to two take-offs and two landings per hour and transfer flights engaged in transporting marine products.
Congestion at NAIA is caused by limited runway space. The airport is designed to accommodate 36 take-offs and landings per hour yet during peak times handles 45 per hour.
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