Airport and aviation authorities have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) laying down measures that the next management can implement to make sure slot allocations for flights are maximized at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) recently signed the MOA covering procedures airlines have to observe when registering for a slot at the NAIA.
Under the MOA, after a desired schedule from NAIA’s third-party slot coordinator Airport Coordination Australia (ACA) is approved, the airline must secure clearance from MIAA for terminal use and from CAAP for runway use.
Authorizations from ACA, MIAA, and CAAP are also required before airlines can file with CAB their application to operate. The authorizations are likewise stipulated under a CAB order dated January 11, which amends the guidelines for filing and approval of time slots for all domestic and international carriers.
The agreement also states that slot misuse faces sanctions including termination of operations or forfeiture of acquired slots; lowered priority for the offending airline for future slot requests; and fines to be imposed by CAB or CAAP.
Misuse of slots includes holding onto them without intention to operate; intentional operation of a flight at a significantly different time from the approved schedule; and operation of flights without a slot.
CAB executive director Atty Carmelo Arcilla explained that the agreement basically requires airlines to utilize their slot or risk losing it. He added that the demand for slots by airlines wanting to fly from the NAIA has been increasing.
“We want to make sure that slots are available for any airline which intends to use the airport,” Arcilla said in a statement.
In 2015, a daily average of 684 flight movements was recorded at the NAIA out of the available 880 allocations.
CAAP director general William Hotchkiss III said the stricter and more detailed guidelines on slot usage will also guarantee smoother airport operations.
“We are also able to address the concern of flight delay by means of this agreement as we dedicate each and every slot to registered flights. Removing those not cleared to fly allows us to follow a day’s official schedule to the second,” Hotchkiss said.
MIAA general manager Jose Angel Honrado said the agreement is the legacy of the three agencies to the next airport and aviation authorities.
“The direction of the authorities remains clear despite any change in management. This agreement will provide the framework for the next administration in working towards passenger convenience and global standards in airport operations—the same goals we held to these past years,” Honrado said.
To ensure compliance by airlines, the CAB has set up monitoring and public assistance desks at terminals to respond to passenger concerns and monitor operations of airlines.
The CAB has entered into separate agreements with the MIAA, CAAP, and other local airports to deploy these assistance desks.
Last February, MIAA, CAB, and CAAP implemented a policy at NAIA that groups 10 flight movements into 15-minute block periods to ensure that only up to 40 movements take place per hour. The policy was imposed to minimize delays and help relieve congestion at the country’s main air hub.
