The announcement of flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) to move some of its domestic operations to Clark International Airport in Pampanga is a step in the right direction in decongesting the air-traffic nightmare in the metropolis.
We have been witness to the inopportuneness faced by local and international travelers caused by congestion at the air gateways in Terminals 1, 2 and 3, which seems to have no immediate reprieve in sight.
That our domestic and international airports have been wanting in providing convenience to air travelers is
an understatement.
Horror stories about Manila’s airport may be ranked among urban legends that underscore the deplorable state of our country’s aviation system. Case in point is what blogger Beingkirei experienced last month. In her August 27 post “11 hours at Gate 116,” she narrated how Cebu Pacific wasted almost half the day out of the lives of the passengers of its delayed flight from Manila to Kalibo, Aklan. A delay of one or two hours has almost become customary—what many people would even call “the new normal” in Philippine aviation—but 11 hours waiting at Gate 116 of Terminal 3 to board a 5 p.m. flight?
Beingkirei narrated how one apparently exasperated passenger Googled the passenger bill of rights, and discovered that a passenger whose flight is delayed for at least six hours is automatically entitled to a voucher, redeemable within 90 days, for a free roundtrip flight to any local destination. Although she and her Cebu Pacific copassengers were given free dinner (Yoshinoya pork rice topping and a small bottle of purified water), the blogger felt that the Cebu Pacific staff kept them “in Gate 116 like prisoners.”
Research by Beingkirei the following day revealed that the passenger bill of rights grants passengers who suffer a three-hour delay with the option to rebook or refund in the form of cash or voucher. For a delay of at least six hours, the flight can be deemed canceled, and the passengers have the option to get the said voucher.
Was the Cebu Pacific ground crew ignorant of the law and left to face irate passengers by themselves, or did management deliberately keep the information both from its staff and stranded passengers? What the blogger was sure of was that, upon checking other terminal gates, passengers waiting to board different Cebu Pacific flights were also being held “hostage” there.
Ever mindful that his company is accountable to its customers, PAL President Jaime Bautista says the carrier is keen on moving flights to Clark to aid in the government’s call to decongest Metro Manila, including the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), which was operating beyond its intended capacity.
Bautista explains that, based on recent discussions with the Duterte administration, PAL has decided to heed the Manila International Airport Authority’s suggestion to move some of its flights to Clark. He adds that PAL needs to study which domestic flights would be assigned to Clark to minimize potential passenger inconvenience.
In earlier columns, we reviewed the proposal of Dennis Wright, president of Peregrine Development International, for the country to have a world-class airport outside of Metro Manila, saying that the only viable location for a large airport would be the Clark Freeport.
According to Wright, “It is indisputable that decongesting Metro Manila has to be done urgently to solve the so-called carmageddon gripping the whole nation. While you cannot fund and fix infrastructure and lethargic decision-making overnight, there are some things that can be done immediately to help alleviate the problem and better plan for the future—promote and expand the use of the Clark airport and Port of Subic [Port of Batangas, as well].”
He said the use of Clark and Subic would cost the government next to nothing, but would have a tremendous impact on the national economy and help alleviate some of the congestion. The Philippines needs both airports, he added, with the Naia’s continued operation, “even in the face of using Clark and/or another new airport in the south.”
PAL’s Bautista told BusinesWise that the flag carrier is also busy looking for other ways to help in clearing up Manila’s air traffic. He narrates that PAL recently unveiled a new vision: “to be the five-star full service national carrier of the Philippines.” He says that the company’s new noble mission is to deliver safe, reliable, efficient and pleasant travel experience, exceeding passenger expectations and to represent the best of the Philippines and of the Filipino to the world.
Since its founding in 1941, PAL has strived to be a partner in nation-building. Through the years, PAL has etched numerous firsts in local commercial aviation: the first trans-Pacific flight by an Asian airline in 1946; first flight to Europe by a Southeast Asian airline in 1947; first in Asia to operate a jet aircraft in 1962; first airline to be honored by international gastronomic society Les Chaines de Rotisseurs for its inflight cuisine in 1979; first in the world to introduce Skybeds in 1980; first to use automated teller machines for domestic ticket payments in 1994; first to adopt electronic ticketing by phone or through the Internet in 2004; first to use browser-based Internet for booking flights, ancillary shopping and flight status monitoring in 2009; and many more. Bautista also reveals that under the flag carrier’s fleet modernization, PAL will take delivery of new jets, including Airbus A321s, Boeing 777-300ERs and Airbus A350-900s. The Airbus 350-900 is an ultramodern, spacious aircraft with luxurious cabin features that will redefine passenger comfort.
He says the airline has added Tablas in Romblon to its domestic points, as well as seven new international destinations and two new routes. PAL’s international route network extends in the east as far as New York, and London in the west. Today PAL flies to 43 international and 30 domestic destinations using 77 aircraft—Boeing 777-300ER, Airbus A340, A330, A321, A320, Bombardier Q400 and Q300.
The need for our country to develop a new world-class airport is of utmost urgency. Everywhere in the world where a new airport was built the area boomed, and in a big way. Airports drive economic growth. Dr. John Kasarda and Greg Lindsay, who collaborated in their recent book Aerotropolis—The Way We Live Next are two of the most preeminent scholars, authors and experts on airports, urbanization and the economic impact of airports. They have documented that Class A office space in and around new airports often exceeds that of comparable space in the metropolitan cities they support, and that retail shopping space returns revenues per square meter of floor space up to six times that of comparable malls in the nearby cities. Airports generate jobs, expand the tax base and stimulate the economy.
If the Philippines wants to enjoy economic benefits from tourism and trade, which would be of immense help in eradicating poverty, creating jobs and mobilizing resources, decongesting our air traffic and developing our aviation system is the way to go.
For comments and suggestions, e-mail me at mvala.v@gmail.com