Turboprop return to NAIA must consider impact on New NAIA Infra contract — CAAP

By Ashley Erika O. Jose, Reporter

THE GOVERNMENT is open to reviewing the return of  turboprop services to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), but needs to study the contract signed by the main gateway’s private-sector operator, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said.

“We need to talk to NNIC (New NAIA Infra Corp.)… There are provisions in the concession agreement that might be inconsistent with the return of turboprops,” CAAP Deputy Director-General Danjun G. Lucas told reporters on the sidelines of an event on Tuesday.

The Department of Tourism said aviation regulators should allow the operations of turboprop aircraft at the gateway, noting that their transfer to Clark International Airport has made domestic travel more expensive and difficult for travelers.

Turboprops, which are propeller-engined narrowbodies capable of serving domestic destinations with shorter runways, moved to Clark from NAIA in March, in order to maximize the use of NAIA by larger jet aircraft, thereby increasing the airport’s capacity.

The Department of Transportation (DoTr), via the Manila Slot Coordination Committee, which oversees slot availability at NAIA, directed the transfer of turboprop operations away from Metro Manila.

The Manila Slot Coordination Committee is headed by the DoTr. Committee members include representatives from CAAP, the Civil Aeronautics Board, the Manila International Airport Authority, the Office for Transportation Security, and NNIC.

“It is an inter-agency decision. It is not really just the decision of CAAP. We will always follow the direction of the (DoTr) Secretary… We also need to (review) the technical and operational impact; we need to weigh the pros and cons, the tradeoffs,” Mr. Lucas said. 

“Airport congestion creates a trade-off between operational efficiency and broader economic objectives. Efforts to maximize passenger volume per runway slot often result in lower priority for smaller aircraft, including general aviation and turboprop operators,” Rene S. Santiago, former president of the Transportation Science Society of the Philippines, said via Viber.

At the same time, higher costs and capacity constraints may encourage airlines to move operations from NAIA to Clark, where operating conditions can be more favorable, he said. 

Mr. Santiago said that from a capacity-management perspective, pushing general aviation and turboprop operations to Clark or other secondary airports is highly efficient.

“From a tourism and accessibility perspective, however, it can reduce the convenience and prestige of direct access to central Manila,” he said.

Nigel Paul C. Villarete, senior adviser on public-private partnerships at Libra Konsult, Inc., said operational and other broader economic factors should be considered.

“Our economy indeed has a certain degree of reliance on the tourism sector, and taking away direct air transport connectivity from NAIA to some tourism destinations which only have minor airports would have a dire impact on them, which should not be ignored,” Mr. Villarete said.

Mr. Villarete said the DoTr should factor in the reality on the ground and go beyond internal infrastructure and operational issues.

“Consider inter-departmental considerations as well as the national economic outlook as a whole. At the very least, let this be discussed at the Cabinet level, certain consultations wouldn’t hurt and would indeed be good for a better decision-making process,” he said.