Flight delays caused by air traffic congestion

PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) is again living up to its other meaning: Plane Always Late.

Lately, planes of the national flag carrier have been consistently delayed in their departure and arrival schedules.

But the airline is not to blame, I was told .

I took PAL this weekend and the previous weekend and noted the delayed in their departures.

On May 21, Saturday, my PAL plane to Puerto Princesa was scheduled to leave at 8 a.m., but it left at 11 a.m.

I was with my 15-year-old goddaughter to take to the Underground River as it was her first time in Puerto Princesa. It was also her first plane ride.

Since we arrived at 12 noon in the “city within a forest,” we missed the opportunity to visit the famed river that day as we had planned.

The trip to the Underground River takes two hours and a boat ride at the world-famous site takes another 30 minutes.

We would have to wait an hour to take the boat and another hour waiting for a boat ride into the Underground River.

The boat rides inside the river cave stop at 3 p.m.

I was able to take my goddaughter to the river the following day, Sunday, which we could have spent going to other tourist attractions in the city.

The trip back to Manila was not delayed.

But yesterday, the PAL plane I took in Davao City to return to Manila was delayed by three hours.

I woke up very early at the hotel where I checked in so I could be at the Davao International Airport one hour before the scheduled departure time of 7 a.m.

You know what time the plane took off—10:30 a.m! In short, it was three and a half hours late!

When I got out of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 2, it was 12:30 p.m.

Because of the heavy traffic from the airport to my office at Radyo Inquirer-dzIQ in Makati City, I barely made it to my public service program, “Isumbong mo kay Tulfo,” at 1:30 p.m.

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I’m sure many hours and money have been lost because of delayed flights not only in PAL but in other airlines as well.

I have it on good authority that PAL is not to blame for the delayed flights but the congested airport and runway at Naia.

Last year, Naia Terminal1 could only take in 4.5 million passengers a year, but it welcomed 7.5 million passengers.

Naia Terminal 2 can accommodate 7.5 million passengers, but it took in 8.9 million passengers.

Since 2009, Naia has been congested because domestic and international flights have increased by leaps and bounds.

But the two runways have not expanded and, neither were there improvements in the terminal buildings to make these bigger.

Adding to problem of lack of space are the small planes that make the international airport their home base, landing and taking off at the Naia runway.

The small aircraft and helicopters have another airfield, according to experts, to decongest the Naia runways.

The government should have informed the public about the congestion problem at the Naia but it has not done so.

If the traffic congestion at the Manila International Airport (MIA), which houses Naia 1, 2, 3 and the domestic terminals, is not solved soon it will become worse in the months ahead.

Before we know it, many international airliners will refuse to land their aircraft at the MIA because of the flight delays that could translate to major losses in time and money.