A Tale of Two Airport Proposals

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Proposal number one is led by All-Asia Resources and Reclamation Corporation, backed by the Tieng family (best known for leading Solar Entertainment); they were recently joined by the SM conglomerate. The plan is to build a new airport and seaport near Sangley Point in Cavite City, reclaiming around 2,500 hectares of land to build a modern logistics and transport hub that will serve Metro Manila.

 

Proposal number two is led by the San Miguel Corporation, and vows to build a 2,000-hectare “aerotropolis”, with at least four runways, somewhere in Bulacan. Their original plan was to also reclaim land off Manila Bay, but I guess they have scuttled that for various reasons.

 

So continues the quest for a new airport that would supplement, if not replace entirely, the aging and congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

 

In the first place, if previous governments effectively planned NAIA and the area around it, we would not come to this point. As it stands, NAIA is congested: four terminals, two runways, surrounded by residential and industrial areas, meaning no room to grow further, serving millions of passengers a year, and often choked up due to delayed aircraft vying for landing or take-off spots. And while there’s a wonderful argument to be made for the conveniences of inner-city airports – as opposed to those located far from the city center, meaning there’s still considerable travel time from landing to your hotel, say – the failure to invest in a proper public transportation system that supports NAIA means hours stuck in traffic, schedules disrupted, flights missed.

 

These two unsolicited proposals, then, are welcome, but we all have to ask: how exactly do these proposals fit the bigger picture? How will a new airport slot into the existing transport ecosystem within NCR? The whole Philippines?

 

As these are unsolicited proposals, the government is under no obligation to provide any support for them. Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade suggested as much, saying that no subsidies or sovereign guarantees would be given if either of the proposals push through. He also believes the government should not be obligated to encourage airlines to move to a new airport. With this in mind, I can’t help but think we might just be building another one of those big malls, only with parking slots for aircraft as well as cars.

 

What do we want in an airport, anyway?

 

It’s nice to dream that NAIA, or whatever replaces it, will be as fancy as a Chep Lap Kok or a Changi, but what we want our airport to be is comfortable and convenient. This means ample places to wait before we could check in, and before we could board. This means assurances that our flights will not be delayed because of “runway congestion”. This means being sure that we can get to the terminal on time, whether by car (if we have one) or by other means. Oh, and sensible ways to go from one terminal to another would be great, too.

 

Will these be addressed by a completely new airport? Perhaps, but with little to go by as I write this, we can only guess and hope.

 

Will these be addressed by the other proposal making the rounds in past years – a dual airport system, with NAIA and Clark working in tandem? Some minds would say this is still a better way, as we’ll be building on what already exists rather than starting from scratch. Of course, improving connectivity should still be a priority – the Duterte administration announced, among its priority infrastructure projects for the next six years, a rail link between the two airports.

 

Whatever the decision may be, we hope that we can finally find a long-term solution to our airborne woes – an airport that can support our growing economy, increasing passenger numbers, and more prominent placement in the region.

 

SCMAP elections: This week SCMAP members can vote for who will comprise the 2017 national Board of Directors. Polling is now open online, with an announcement of winners to be made during our next General Membership Meeting on November 18 at F1 Hotel. Be sure to exercise your right to vote – your decision can, and will, define the direction SCMAP takes next year.

 

Henrik Batallones is the marketing and communications executive of SCMAP. A former board director, he is also editor-in-chief of the organization’s official publication, Supply Chain Philippines.