Cebu Pacific Supports Plan to Decongest NAIA Runway

A government plan that will allow aircraft landings and takeoffs at the NAIA runways to rise from the present 45 to 60 per hour will benefit tourism, travel and trade, and generate jobs and economic development in the countryside says Cebu Pacific.

“The government plan to build additional exit ways to allow landing aircraft to immediately leave the runways for use by other aircraft will go a long way in decongesting NAIA, and Cebu Pacific fully supports this government's initiative,” the company said in a statement.

Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas wants the construction of the rapid exit taxi-way to address the present congestion at NAIA’s runways, which has been limiting the number of flights to and from NAIA, and resulting in flight delays as well.

At present, actual aircraft landing and takeoff at NAIA is estimated at 45 movements per hour for commercial airlines. Private aircraft also compete for the use of the runway, although in other countries, civil aviation use other runways since they carry at times only one passenger or just the pilot.

Cebu Pacific says it also supports the following measures:

• The transfer of aviation schools and general aviation aircraft (corporate jets, for instance, that carry one passenger if at all, as compared to hundreds on a commercial plane, and yet use up 17% of NAIA’s capacity annually). A three-year period for their transfer should be shortened.

• The implementation of airport slotting (the specific time allotted an airline to take off and land) which will also prevent congestion, and maximize airport use and aircraft movements.

• The upgrading of key airports outside Manila to allow night flights. This would allow airlines not to cram their schedules during the day and therefore help prevent NAIA congestion. Caticlan, for instance, cannot host flights upon sunset. The same with Naga, Legazpi, and Butuan, CEB said. This would allow passengers to choose their time of travel and not be limited to day flights.

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