MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri suggested Wednesday that the operations of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport be taken over by a foreign firm following a power failure at the country’s main gateway that delayed flights and inconvenienced passengers.
“I think if they can’t run it efficiently then they should be replaced by competent people. Or even better, why don't you get an internationally known airport operator to run the airport?” Zubiri said at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum.
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He said that should a foreign firm take charge of NAIA’s operations, it will be insulated from political pressure, ensuring that the airport will be run “efficiently, without fear or favor.”
“That is an option if our countrymen cannot do it, the geniuses there, maybe we can give it to someone else,” he said, adding that the amended Public Services Act allows this.
He added, “If it means being handled by the Singapore Group of Changi Airport which is the number one airport in the world, let’s give them a chance.”
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in January that his administration is eyeing to hire a private foreign company to manage NAIA’s traffic.
Several flights were canceled or delayed on the last day of the long Labor Day weekend after an eight-hour power outage hit NAIA Terminal 3, which the Manila International Airport Authority attributed to a faulty circuit breaker.
Just four months prior on New Year’s Day, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines’ air traffic management system conked out due to a power failure, taking the country’s airspace offline.
These hitches were accompanied by renewed suggestions to privatize NAIA, which faced questions from analysts who pointed out that this may lead to increased fees. — Xave Gregorio