Upgrading Naia better option–expert

Upgrading Naia better option–expert

An airport-planning expert on Thursday urged the government to dismiss proposals to replace the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) with a new air hub.

Architect Ben Lao, an airport planner, told members of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) the Naia is still a performing asset despite its imperfections.

He said the Philippines will have a better chance of becoming a regional hub for air travel if the Naia is upgraded and then complemented with another airport.

Sangley Point in Cavite and Clark in Pampanga are two sites being eyed to become the next important air hub of the country. Reforms, coupled with the new airport whose location is being eyed in Sangley Point in Cavite, will make the Philippines a prime aviation hub. “With the geographic location and placement of Sangley Point [ as the location for a new airport], the Philippines is poised to be the next aviation hub in the Asia-Pacific region,” Lao said.

Lao added that talks to close down the Naia should be scrapped as there has to be a facility built in the same site to encourage development in the surrounding areas.

The Naia, added Lao, is still considered geographically well-positioned for highly mobile Filipino travelers.
Recommended upgrades for the Naia include implementing a thorough systems check and regular maintenance-facility upgrade, which, Lao said, can still expand its capacity from the current 33 million passenger traffic to accommodate 50 million passengers annually if reforms are undertaken.

The Clark International Airport should be developed concurrently, but should not replace the Naia as the main international gateway in Luzon, Lao said.

He instead proposed a dual-airport system, which is suited for areas with more than 8 million population.

Dr. Shizuo Iwata, project manager of the Japan International Cooperation Agency for the transportation dream plan for Metro Manila, Region 3 and Calabarzon, similarly advocates maximizing the capacity of Naia and Clark while the plan for the new airport is in the works. Iwata said given the current traffic and existing infrastructure, Naia’s 35-million capacity will be reached in two to three years, which is aggravated further by the provincial airports’ limited nighttime operations.

Source: http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php/en/news/top-news/36360-upgrading-naia-better-option-expert