Senate: Redistributing flights a ‘band-aid solution’

Redistributing flights among the existing terminals was just a “band-aid solution” that could even worsen the congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), according to a Senate committee report.

In its report on the problem of airport congestion, the Senate committee on public services rejected the plan of airport authorities to relocate certain domestic and international flights in a so-called rationalization plan.

The panel, chaired by Sen. Grace Poe, urged the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) to instead consider plans to expand the airport’s capacity.

“The MIAA should endeavor to assess these submissions as  these offer promising remedies, which not only resolve current issues but also provide for the exponential growth of the aviation industry, as well as the national economy,” Poe said.

“Expanding the capacity of the country’s main gateway would be the main solution to decongest the NAIA,” she added. —DONA Z. PAZZIBUGAN