Airport Closure is Only 10 Minutes
24 October 2015
Attention passengers! Don't believe what airline says about delays on your flight.
"We are not the cause of delay," says President Aquino.
President Benigno Aquino III said Friday that he was the "most convenient" excuse by some airline companies, particularly Cebu Pacific, whenever there were delays in the flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) because every time he was embarking on a trip abroad or in other parts of the country, the airspace around the airport turns to a complete stop aggravating traffic congestion.
"You know, often I'm told that the reason daw of all of the delays...it is announced on planes that I am either landing or taking off. I'm the most convenient excuse 'cause nobody can ask me if that really happened but the records are present," he said.
The President denied the airline allegations as false and clarified that it takes maximum of 15 minutes only from the time he enters the plane and the door is closed until the aircraft leaves the area for departure.
"It is no longer the one-hour requirement that existed previously and we strive to make that even less. We want to disrupt as little as possible. So 15 (minutes) is the average, but I think we’ve managed 10 (minutes) and below from different times, when I go around the country or I have to leave the country," he said.
CAAP Executive Director William Hotchkiss III confirmed the President's statement saying that although the President is entitled to the one hour window for security reason following internationally accepted VIP protocols, he himself directed the least disturbance to air traffic movements in and around NAIA and its airspace.
Hotchkiss said that those accommodation request by President Aquino may not be applicable to other head of states visiting the country particularly during the APEC meeting in November.
NAIA-based airlines has already cancelled flights that will be affected by the arrival and departure of foreign head of states attending the APEC meeting.
"You know, often I'm told that the reason daw of all of the delays...it is announced on planes that I am either landing or taking off. I'm the most convenient excuse 'cause nobody can ask me if that really happened but the records are present," he said.
The President denied the airline allegations as false and clarified that it takes maximum of 15 minutes only from the time he enters the plane and the door is closed until the aircraft leaves the area for departure.
"It is no longer the one-hour requirement that existed previously and we strive to make that even less. We want to disrupt as little as possible. So 15 (minutes) is the average, but I think we’ve managed 10 (minutes) and below from different times, when I go around the country or I have to leave the country," he said.
CAAP Executive Director William Hotchkiss III confirmed the President's statement saying that although the President is entitled to the one hour window for security reason following internationally accepted VIP protocols, he himself directed the least disturbance to air traffic movements in and around NAIA and its airspace.
Hotchkiss said that those accommodation request by President Aquino may not be applicable to other head of states visiting the country particularly during the APEC meeting in November.
NAIA-based airlines has already cancelled flights that will be affected by the arrival and departure of foreign head of states attending the APEC meeting.
Why haven't the crossover on the runway been constructed. that would get planes off the runway quicker.
ReplyDeleteIts an old airport made before the advent of jets. Its intersecting runway was intended for crosswind landings similar to those in the United States. Unlike US airports, it can't be expanded anymore due to proximity of build up areas because government did not foresaw it to grow this big.
DeleteWhy doesn't the government improve Basa Air Base in Pampanga or Fernando Air Base in Lipa for arrival/departure of the President and other government officials or foreign government visitors? Shuttle them to Manila by helicopter just like Washington DC with Andrews AFB. Do not stress the already congested NAIA airspace
ReplyDeleteOr, use CRK.
DeleteBecause the government is using Philippine Airlines for Presidential flights. CRK would be a good option if it won't be expensive. But PAL bills MNL-CRK-MNL leg. So the PMO contracts PR ex-MNL instead.
DeleteAs to APEC meet, unlike FVR time when it was hosted at Subic, today it will all be hosted in Manila which necessitates extensive use of its airport.
Cebu Pacific usuually group passengers for a certain flight to a certain gate then at the last minute announces.."we have just received instructions from the goverment regualtors that our aircraft gate has been changed to gate XX then when you arrive there, usually in the ground floor, the bus are ready to transport you" why gives all these excuses??
ReplyDeleteUsually the reason for that is their aircraft which is scheduled to use the gate at that particular period of time, say 10am, is already late in arrival, i.e. 10:40am and they have to vacate the gate at the designated time (10:50am) so that other carrier can use it at 11am. Reasonable allowance used to be 30 minutes turn around but now back to 45. Transfer of gate assignment doesn't happen when the carrier also owns the next time slot. If they transfer to another gate, it is also another allotted gate for the carrier, which is also intended for another flight that is also delayed.
DeleteWhen the flight is late, most likely the gate will be transferred if it happens to be another carrier's time slot, say Air Philippines time to use the gate.
In short, Cebu Pacific is only allotted certain minutes to use the gate by MIAA. If they can't use it at the allotted time, then they lose the right to use the slot for the remaining time. That is the reason why arriving Cebu Pacific flight stays in the tarmac longer because their landing slot is used by another Cebu Pacific flight which in the schedule the arriving flight is supposed to be using.
Because that is how corrupt, insensitive and sly the corporate culture of the entire organization has become.
ReplyDelete