Latest airport fiasco calls for immediate NAIA rehab

Traveling would have been the best way to start off 2023, after years of quarantine restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, not for the thousands of travelers affected by a “technical glitch” that occurred at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) recently.

In the first two days of 2023, more than 200 flights were cancelled, rerouted and delayed after an equipment mishap led a to a power issue that triggered a breakdown in the airport’s Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) system. According to reports culled from statements by the airport management, a blower for the uninterrupted power supply (UPS) conked out and failed to power the CNS/ATM system.

The series of unfortunate events resulted in power outages, which shut down communication, radar, radio, and internet access and prompted the air traffic management center to suspend operations, thereby affecting 56,000 inbound and outbound passengers.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) already initiated an investigation to look into the matter, and several members of the Senate have stated that a probe is imperative to find out the root cause of the incident, so as to prevent it from happening again.

This incident should not be taken lightly, as this brings out a weightier issue that needs to be addressed. The Philippines’ main airport, NAIA, is already ailing and is in immediate need of an upgrade and modernization, one that is comparable to the rest of the world.

For several years now, NAIA has been forced to accommodate as much as 42 million passengers annually, far more than its designed capacity of 31 million passengers every year.

When the former administration embarked on its ambitious infrastructure program in 2016, NAIA was one of the key projects proposed to be rehabilitated by seven of the country’s largest conglomerates namely Metro Pacific Investments Corporation of businessman and philanthropist Manuel V. Pangilinan; JG Summit Holdings Inc. of the Gokongwei family; Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. of the Aboitiz Group; AC Infrastructure Holdings Inc. of Ayala Corporation; Alliance Global Group Inc. of businessman Andrew Tan; Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp. of tycoon Lucio Tan; and Filinvest Development Corporation of the Gotianun family.

The conglomerates -- known as the Super Consortium -- proposed to upgrade and modernize NAIA for PHP102 billion and increase its terminals’ capacity to 65 million passengers yearly.

However, the unsolicited proposal was cancelled, until finally the consortium eventually decided to withdraw after failed discussions.

Reportedly, Megawide Construction Corporation, San Miguel Corp. and Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions Inc. also submitted proposals, all of which did not push through.

Airports are considered as gateways to countries and the state of the air transport systems leave lasting first impressions to travelers and visitors, locals and foreigners alike. It is critical that we get our airport blueprint right, especially since we aim to change the reputation of NAIA to the rest of the world.

Beyond airports, there is also crucial need to upgrade and modernize ports and other entry points, especially since our country is an archipelago composed of thousands of islands that are impossible to reach by land alone.

The government, particularly the Department of Transportation (DOTr), should spark the rehabilitation of our main gateway as well as develop provincial airports and provide better service to both local and international travelers. The private sector, always ready to provide support, should once again be considered as partners in our quest to boost travel and tourism industry, effectively advancing national economic development.

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in the foregoing article are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the Philippine News Agency (PNA) or any other office under the Office of the Press Secretary.