PHILIPPINE airports will likely benefit from brighter aviation prospects delivered by China and other markets recovering from the global economic crisis.
“Aside from Vietnam, the Philippines is expected to greatly benefit from the growth prospects,” Manila International Airport Authority assistant general manager Tirso Serrano said at the sidelines of the recently concluded 28th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) International Airport Association Conference.
Philippine airports are the third-fastest growing in Asia, posting 50% annual passenger and cargo growth from 2004 to 2008.
“Airports are now stepping up their improvements in terms of facilities and other amenities to be ready for the expected surge in traffic,” Serrano said.
“In the Philippines, the MIAA is taking every measure needed to improve our airports and to be at par with our counterparts,” he added.
These measures include ISO certification for its terminals. Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminals II and III will undergo ISO audits on March 11 and 12. Last year, NAIA Terminal I secured a certificate for ISO Quality Management System.
MIAA has also extended the 10% discount on air fees in almost all airports to help travelers and businesses cope with the recession. A similar discount arrangement with Asean airports is eyed.
In the meantime, MIAA is aggressively marketing NAIA Terminal 3 (T3) to foreign carriers. Serrano said there are at least three major international carriers interested in using T3 although he declined to name them.
The terminal’s anchor tenants are Cebu Pacific and PAL Express.
Last year, MIAA posted a 21% increase in passenger traffic despite the global financial crisis. Cargo traffic, however, has lagged.
