Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
Are we resigned to accept the current state of our airports as our reality? Will we simply endure the long queues while imagining the destination awaiting us on the other side? Are we prepared to adjust our arrival time at the airport from the recommended three hours to five hours minimum?
Day in and day out, netizens share their agonizing experiences at the airport terminals. Beyond the puzzling issue of “strict” immigration officers, they face the hassles of stressful queues, occasional power outages, and, recently, theft of valuables and loss of belongings.
Once again, we must ask ourselves: Will we accept these scenarios as the norm at our airports?
In an ideal world, the answer would be no. However, for years and under various administrations, our main airport has consistently ranked as one of the worst in the world. This raises the question of why our neighboring countries, despite their own challenges, manage to maintain more traveler-friendly airports. Why can’t we?
It’s difficult to “love the Philippines” if we, first and foremost, are not proud of our airports.
Fortunately, there’s a glimmer of hope amid these airport troubles: the government is aware and adamant to do some fixing. In fact, the President has consistently emphasized airport improvements in his speeches. The Department of Tourism (DOT) has also stressed the urgent need for infrastructure improvements, including airports and seaports, to remain competitive in the global tourism market.
One encouraging news on this front came from Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista during the NAIA Public-Private Partnership (PPP) pre-bid conference at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) headquarters on Sept. 22, 2023. Bautista said that the privatization and modernization of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) are expected to boost the country’s economy by creating better investment opportunities.
“The rehabilitation and operation of NAIA through a PPP arrangement represent a landmark opportunity for our nation,” Bautista said. It is anticipated to “increase capacity to accommodate more flights and passengers, enhance security and efficiency, while generating a steady stream of revenue.”
The NAIA’s modernization, the transport chief said, will adhere with international standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). “This requires modernizing terminals, increasing capacity up to 62 million passengers annually, improving technology infrastructure, and ensuring reliable operations. (All these) promises economic growth, improved infrastructure, and a world-class travel experience.”
Once the modernization project is completed, NAIA is projected to have an increased runway capacity of at least 48 air traffic movements at peak hour.
According to a statement, the winning contractor of the 15-year PPP concession agreement will be responsible for “rehabilitating NAIA’s passenger terminals and airside facilities, developing commercial assets and utility systems, and providing surface access facilities that enable intermodal transfer at the airport and inter-terminal passenger transfer facilities and services.”
Additionally, the concessionaire will be tasked with “connecting the Metro Manila Subway station to NAIA Terminal 3, beautifying the airport, incorporating climate adaptation measures for airfield resilience, and ensuring overall sustainability.”
To prevent further incidents similar to the one last Jan. 1, 2023, the concessionaire is also expected to “improve and modernize NAIA’s communications, navigation, and surveillance systems, remote digital tower system, air traffic control system, and airfield network, including fiber upgrades, emergency equipment, and technology enhancements.”
All these new developments are indeed promising — and look good on paper. We, however, eagerly await the implementation, as the beneficiaries of the improvements will not only be the airline passengers but the entire nation as well. We hope we will not be disappointed.
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Credit belongs to: www.mb.com.ph
