Govt to close down NAIA Terminal 1

[Steve_Donna 0]

SOURCE: http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/j...080131top5.html

Govt to close down NAIA Terminal 1

By Mark Louie Roxas, Correspondent

CLARK FREEPORT: The international airport in Manila will give way to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) inside Clark Freeport Zone as the premier gateway to the Philippines, President Gloria Arroyo announced.

The airport in Pampanga was named after President Arroyo’s father, the late President Diosdado Macapagal. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1, the oldest terminal facility in the country, will be closed down.

“Clark will now be the new premier airport,” Mrs. Arroyo declared Tuesday during a Cabinet meeting in Malacañang convened to discuss the future of Philippine aviation, including Macapagal airport’s role as a developmental route where a liberalized regime of air policies will be in effect. She gave officials one year to turn the airport in Clark into the new premier facility.

Secretary Leandro Mendoza of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) earlier briefed the President on the need to transfer NAIA Terminal 1’s operations to Pampanga to ensure the country’s economic competitiveness.

“For the Philippines to be competitive, we have to close down [Terminal 1] as our major gateway and transfer [that role] to Clark,” Mendoza said. A number of Asian countries including the Philippines are working on a multilateral agreement providing for an open-skies regime among them.

“In other words, you are saying Clark will not just be a developmental route, it will now be the premier airport,” Mrs. Arroyo told Mendoza. “Clark will now be phased in as the premier airport because NAIA 1 is too crowded already,” she said.

Mendoza said Asean member-countries, Japan, South Korea and China have already agreed to adopt “open skies” in the region beginning with unlimited flights between capital cities by December 2008. Asean, or Association of Southeast Asian Nations, groups the Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Secretary Edgardo Pamintuan of the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development Council said the President is inclined to sign and issue a new executive order liberalizing aviation over Macapagal airport and Subic International Airport in Subic Freeport Zone in Zambales.

“The President also instructed the DOTC [secretary] and other Cabinet members to study the aviation policies of Vietnam, which has been experiencing dramatic growth of its tourism industry and determine whether these policies could be adopted to our advantage,” Pamintuan said.

Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) Chairman Nestor Mangio welcomed the President’s announcement to designate Maca-pagal airport as the new main gateway. “It is the right thing to do to serve our national interests.”

“DMIA is more than enough to answer our country’s need for a modern and efficient international gateway which is important for us to sustain our economic competitiveness in international trade and commerce,” Mangio said.

He added that Clark’s 2,500-hectare civil aviation complex is undergoing a major facelift starting with the expansion of its passenger terminal to accommodate around two million passengers a year.

“This initial phase of terminal expansion is expected to be finished by the first week of March this year,” Mangio said.

On top of its modern instrument landing system, navigational aids, meteorological equipment and complete airfield lighting system, the Clark International Airport Corp. also recently installed a new $10-million radar considered as the most advanced in the country.

As one of the largest aviation complexes in Asia, with its two 3.2-kilometer parallel runways, the Macapagal airport is also certified by the International Civil Aviation Organization with ratings of Category 1 for Precision Approach Runway and Category IX for Emergency Services.

“There is even enough room at Clark’s aviation complex to expand our runways and terminals to accommodate the largest wide-bodied aircraft in the world,” Mangio said. He noted the recent landing at Macapagal airport of the Airbus A380, currently the biggest passenger airline in the world that is capable of accommodating 800 passengers.

The chief of Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) welcomed the decision to promote the Macapagal airport, saying it will bring in more tourists and revenues.

Alfonso Cusi, airport authority general manager, told The Manila Times on Wednesday that more premier airports will bring in development for the country.

He said the closure of NAIA Terminal 1 will depend largely on the development of the Macapagal airport and the opening of the mothballed NAIA Terminal 3.

The airport authority is now focused on opening Terminal 3 in Manila, which is designed to handle 13 million passengers a year. It is hoping to finish remaining work at the terminal, including repair of its structural defects.

Under an earlier plan, Terminal 1in Manila will be closed down when Terminal 3 is fully operational. NAIA 3 will handle all international flights and Terminal 2, or Centennial Airport, will be designated to handle domestic flights.

[Roserick 0]

That's more better for me.. I live in Pampanga... Hehehe!! Meaning just 20 mins away from home.. :dancing:

[lirachadsbaby 0]

the government spent billions for the Pampanga airport and I think it should really be used. I heard the construction is still goin on.

Edited January 30, 2008 by lirachadsbaby

[Roserick 0]

the government spent billions for the Pampanga airport and I think it should really be used. I heard the construction is still goin on.

Airport is already open..

They already have some International Flights that are active..

Airport Code CRK

Asiana has regular flights from Seoul Incheon to Clark..

My friend flew from JFK NYC via Asiana, to Incheon then transferred to a different flight Incheon to Clarke..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diosdado_Maca...ational_Airport

[garya505 2]

We're planning a trip for Jan 2009, will Clark be the only international terminal then?

[rjp44 1]

We're planning a trip for Jan 2009, will Clark be the only international terminal then?

Believe it when you see it......LOL.

[mikeandlani 0]

Believe it when you see it......LOL.

it will be awhile before the transfer. there's just no infrastructure to support this plan...the financial districts are in the Metro, how then will they support the regular business flyers without fast and efficient transportation as well as roads to and from the Metro???

[Roserick 0]

Believe it when you see it......LOL.

it will be awhile before the transfer. there's just no infrastructure to support this plan...the financial districts are in the Metro, how then will they support the regular business flyers without fast and efficient transportation as well as roads to and from the Metro???

You haven't heard the ongoing construction of train service?

The govt bought my uncle's land 2 yrs ago because its blocking the soon to be rail way system..

The plan will start from Subic to clarke, Clarke to Manila..

I'm telling you Pres. GMA really put alot of budget in her hometown of Pampanga.. Are toll booths are like the one here in the US automatic ticketing..

Pampanga has really improved to become a city..

[Roserick 0]

Believe it when you see it......LOL.

it will be awhile before the transfer. there's just no infrastructure to support this plan...the financial districts are in the Metro, how then will they support the regular business flyers without fast and efficient transportation as well as roads to and from the Metro???

You haven't heard the ongoing construction of train service?

The govt bought my uncle's land 2 yrs ago because its blocking the soon to be rail way system..

The plan will start from Subic to clarke, Clarke to Manila..

I'm telling you Pres. GMA really put alot of budget in her hometown of Pampanga.. Are toll booths are like the one here in the US automatic ticketing..

Pampanga has really improved to become a city..

If you want to talk about infrastructure I think they do.. Try reading the wikipedia link I posted above...

The problem with Philippines is Everything is in Manila.. You want a job? Where do you go? Manila.. You need important Documents. Where do you go? Manila, You want Good Education? Manila,

Everything is in Manila.. That's not good.. You bomb Manila and Philippines is History!!

Unlike the US there are city in every states..

[mikeandlani 0]

Believe it when you see it......LOL.

it will be awhile before the transfer. there's just no infrastructure to support this plan...the financial districts are in the Metro, how then will they support the regular business flyers without fast and efficient transportation as well as roads to and from the Metro???

You haven't heard the ongoing construction of train service?

The govt bought my uncle's land 2 yrs ago because its blocking the soon to be rail way system..

The plan will start from Subic to clarke, Clarke to Manila..

I'm telling you Pres. GMA really put alot of budget in her hometown of Pampanga.. Are toll booths are like the one here in the US automatic ticketing..

Pampanga has really improved to become a city..

the masterplan has been existing since Ramos' time. how long did it take to construct the new NLEX? how about the roads going to the airport? as it is now it wont be able to accommodate much traffic. unless GMA can make miracles and construct superhighways like those existing in thailand and malaysia in the next 12 months, i very much doubt the transfer to be in place in 2009....plus 2010 is an election year, doubtful if funds would be spent for that airport project. the problem with the philippines is we spend so much time politicking....we live and breathe it. hence, not much is done. its really a shame considering that our country has been blessed with abundant natural resources...if only....

toll booths? that isnt due to GMA Roserick, its privately run by the Lopez' group. the government had to adopt the BOT scheme otherwise there wont be any semblance of a transport system. the LRT, MRT are all under BOT (build-operate and transfer). i'm not saying GMA has done nothing for the country, she has. but there are just too many graft and corruption (courtesy of the FG-Mike Arroyo) that stalls her government from executing much needed changes.

[lirachadsbaby 0]

the government spent billions for the Pampanga airport and I think it should really be used. I heard the construction is still goin on.

Airport is already open..

They already have some International Flights that are active..

Airport Code CRK

Asiana has regular flights from Seoul Incheon to Clark..

My friend flew from JFK NYC via Asiana, to Incheon then transferred to a different flight Incheon to Clarke..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diosdado_Maca...ational_Airport

wow! really? awesome!

[Roserick 0]

the masterplan has been existing since Ramos' time. how long did it take to construct the new NLEX? how about the roads going to the airport? as it is now it wont be able to accommodate much traffic. unless GMA can make miracles and construct superhighways like those existing in thailand and malaysia in the next 12 months, i very much doubt the transfer to be in place in 2009....plus 2010 is an election year, doubtful if funds would be spent for that airport project. the problem with the philippines is we spend so much time politicking....we live and breathe it. hence, not much is done. its really a shame considering that our country has been blessed with abundant natural resources...if only....

toll booths? that isnt due to GMA Roserick, its privately run by the Lopez' group. the government had to adopt the BOT scheme otherwise there wont be any semblance of a transport system. the LRT, MRT are all under BOT (build-operate and transfer). i'm not saying GMA has done nothing for the country, she has. but there are just too many graft and corruption (courtesy of the FG-Mike Arroyo) that stalls her government from executing much needed changes.

I heard NAIA Terminal 3 is built and ready to go.. But its not owned by the govt.. Its owned by some German company..

[mikeandlani 0]

I heard NAIA Terminal 3 is built and ready to go.. But its not owned by the govt.. Its owned by some German company..

NAIA 3 has been standing for how many years now and has failed to operate, since it has been declared by independent third parties as not structurally sound and inhabitable....the German company has been stripped of its right to operate the same, as the contract has been nullified due to questionable provisions that are prejudicial to the Philippine government...another graft and corruption riddled contract for you...

GMAs government has promised our airline company exclusive use of the Terminal 3 since 3 years ago, and we have been raring to transfer and consolidate our airline operations since there is much traffic with the existing domestic terminal already. sad to say, the structural repairs in terminal 3 is taking sooooooo long. we dont know when the actual transfer will be. that's the sad state of the philippines...

those issues notwithstanding Filipinos have remained resilient through all these. i'm proud to be a FILIPINO!!!