Aviation safety

The tourism marketing campaign must be working; several foreign carriers are reportedly seeking more flights to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Now the problem is meeting the rising demand. We don’t have enough hotel rooms, and the NAIA is overwhelmed as it is. Reports said the government has had to turn down requests for additional flights to Manila from at least two foreign airlines.

Instead Malacañang is encouraging foreign carriers to take advantage of the pocket open skies policy and use airports outside Metro Manila.

If the response is positive, it can boost travel and tourism. But first we must be able to provide a smooth and comfortable if not a red carpet welcome for travelers at our airports.

Malacañang’s encouragement was issued yesterday as a Cebu Pacific Airbus A320 flight from Manila continued to obstruct the runway at the Davao City International Airport (DIA).

The plane was finally pushed out of the grassy portion of the lone runway at past 5 p.m. yesterday and towed to the old Davao airport by combined teams from Cebu Pacific and DIA. Mindanao’s principal gateway was expected to finally resume operations last night, after being shut down for two days.

Some passengers said they saw a part of the plane burst into flames as it prepared to land Sunday night at the DIA in a downpour. The cause of the accident still has to be established, although there were reports yesterday that probers were zeroing in on human error.

Several passengers complained about poor response to their needs after the rough landing and after they had disembarked. Cebu Pacific CEO Lance Gokongwei apologized the other night and said the accident was a “learning experience” for the airline.

It should also be a learning experience for the DIA management, and for our transportation officials in general. Airports, especially international gateways, should bear the responsibility of providing medical assistance on the ground to passengers and crew in an emergency landing.

They should also have the facilities to clear the runway – especially if there is only one – of all obstructions ASAP.

We can tolerate having goats and dogs running around the runway in a small airstrip (I’ve seen such scenes). But we can’t afford to have an international airport shut down for two whole days because the runway cannot be cleared of an aircraft with all its parts largely intact including its landing wheels.

Davao investors placed the economic losses from the two-day airport shutdown at P247 million.

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Cebu Pacific is hurting, but it’s a safe bet that the airline, our second national carrier, will recover quickly. The airline popularized the no-frills flight, making air travel accessible even to the poor and inspiring copycat schemes. I know household helpers and blue-collar workers in Metro Manila who hail these budget flights along with the roll-on, roll-off (RORO) facilities (also welcomed by wealthy investors) for making it easier for them to go to the provinces for vacations or emergencies.

For many Filipinos, airfare is still the principal consideration in choosing an airline. On no-frills flights, the seats are cramped (but it’s the same on regular coach sections), luggage allowance is acutely limited and there may be no free food, but the fare is cheap and the flight will take you where you want to go.

With so much faith placed by the average Pinoy traveler on budget flights, airline operators should put a premium on at least one aspect: passenger safety. When it comes to public safety, it can’t be a case of getting what you pay for.

Regular maintenance of aircraft and the employment of well-trained pilots and other aircraft personnel can help ensure a safe flight.

One local carrier in particular is gaining notoriety for its poorly maintained aircraft, reportedly obtained dirt-cheap because of age and high mileage. When the planes break down, which is often, passengers are told that they will have to wait from several hours up to two days for the next flight on the same carrier.

Foreign diplomats and investors have told me horror stories about this carrier, which flies to the country’s top tourist destinations. Those are not budget passengers; they pay a premium for their travel packages and take the carrier chiefly because there are few alternatives.

The government will also have to improve its regulation of companies offering chartered flights. The fares are premium but the passenger volume is low so some of the companies cut corners, violating regulations and allowing student pilots to fly aircraft with paying passengers. Some student pilots shoulder the expensive aviation fuel for such flights.

Shortly before interior secretary Jesse Robredo died in a plane crash, a Norwegian traveler was also killed in an accident involving the same carrier.

If we want to attract more European travelers – a large market especially for high-value tourists – we need to address aviation safety concerns, which prevent our carriers from flying directly to Europe. We’re still waiting for international aviation authorities (and not the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) to announce that the country has met aviation safety standards so the direct flights can resume.

And if we want European carriers to resume direct flights to the Philippines and take advantage of pocket open skies, we should improve our airport facilities outside Metro Manila.

Davao City International Airport is supposed to be among the better gateways outside Manila. The recent two-day shutdown does not inspire confidence in Philippine aviation safety.