By Recto Mercene
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) will complain to the International Civil Aviation Organization (Icao) if China tries to stop the installation of a sophisticated navigational aid (Navaid) on Pagasa Island.
Caap Deputy Director General for Operations Rodante Joya made the statement after a private airplane carrying Caap personnel was harassed by the Chinese Navy while about to land on Pagasa Island on January 7.
Asked whether the Caap expects China to object installing the equipment in Pagasa, Joya said: “Why should they? It’s purely for civil aviation navigation use?”
He added that if China tries to stop the construction, the Caap will inform the Icao about the breach of agreement.
“It is the contracting states’ obligation to provide for safe passage of civil aviation aircraft in its airspace,” Joya said.
The Icao has more than 190 member-states that include the Philippines and China.
Joya said the Philippines is installing a sophisticated Navaid, on Pagasa Island at the West Philippine Sea (WPS), because some 200 international flights a day enter and leave the Manila Flight Information Region (FIR).
The Manila FIR is an imaginary line, enclosing the whole Philippine archipelago. It is more than 3 million square miles in area, which extend all the way to the contested WPS.
Joya said Caap personnel flew to Pagasa last week in a private plane to survey the area they will lease from the municipality of Kalayaan, for the proposed installation of equipment to monitor and guide aircraft movements.
Called the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) equipment, Joya said the navigational aid would be installed in a 200 square-meter lot beside the Major Gen. Jose Rancudo Airfield at Pagasa Island.
ADS-B technology is a system that aircraft use to determine their location through satellites orbiting high above the earth.
Joya said the technology “makes flying significantly safer for the aviation community by providing pilots with improved situational awareness,” meaning accurate locations without resorting to the old-model Navaids, such as the VOR or NDB (non-directional beacon).
He said pilots with ADS-B in equipped cockpit will have the ability to see, on their in-cockpit flight display, other traffic operating in the immediate airspace, as well as access to clear and detailed weather information.
“They will also be able to receive pertinent updates ranging from temporary flight restrictions to runway closings,” Joya added.
Joya reported that while Caap engineers were enroute to Pagasa last week, the pilots were harassed by the Chinese Navy.
He said on January 7 the Caap team of seven technical personnel, accompanied by Kalayaan Mayor Bito-onon, flew to Pagasa Island onboard a chartered Cessna aircraft to survey the proposed site.
A Caap consultant, Inocencio Yncierto, reported that the 275- nautical miles trip was uneventful, lasting one hour and 45 minutes, starting from the Puerto Princesa International Airport.
However, when the airplane was some 40 miles away from the Maj. Gen. Jose Rancudo Airstrip, a Chinese navy blurted out a message on radio: “Foreign military aircraft, this is the Chinese navy, you are threatening the security of our station.”
Yncierto said the message was ignored by the pilot, knowing that they are in private airplane that is within the Philippine territory.
Upon landing in Kalayaan Island, the Caap team conducted survey and inspection of the proposed site. Asked whether the Philippines will file a diplomatic protest, Foreign Affairs Spokesman Charles Jose said, “We’re still studying the case.”
The Caap’s trip came shortly after it was revealed to the media that China had completed construction of a runway on Fiery Cross Reef.
China’s state-backed Xinhua News has posted pictures of two Boeing 737-like aircraft parked on the tarmac of the reclaimed island. In the foreground are scores of waving Chinese passengers of the plane, displaying a banner with Chinese inscriptions.
1 comment
nakakalungkot….kung ang CHINA ay walang limit sa pagpapalakas, pagdedeveloped at pagmomodernisa ng mga MAN-MADE ISLANDS sa West Philippine Sea,
tapos, ang installation ng sophisticated navigational aid (Navaid) sa Pagasa Island ay pinipigilan at binuBULLY ng CHINA ? Panahon na para IPARADA ang BRP GREGORIO DEL PILAR at BRP Ramon Alcaraz, (war ship / frigate Philippine Navy) sa PAGASA…. para maprotektahan at DEVELOPMENT ng PAGASA at AYUNGIN SHOAL.
ang objectives ng BRP Gregorio Del PILAR at ALCARAZ, kaya ito binili sa US COAST GUARD – (P 900.0 million) ay protektahan ang West Philippine Sea….Nasaan ang dalawang FRIGATE?