Terminal 3 design risky to jumbo jets – safety group

Super jumbo jets that would land, take off or taxi at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 face the risk of collision because of structural defects at the airport complex, a safety foundation warned.

Capt. Amado H. Soliman Jr., president of the Aviation Safety Foundation and a retired commercial pilot, said NAIA has only one international runway while the centerline distance between the runway and the international taxiway violates international standards.

Soliman said he came out with the warning so that the Philippine International Airport Terminals Co. Inc. (Piatco), the operator of Terminal 3, can still do something about the problem before the new airport is finally opened to the public.

"We are after the safety of passengers and international aircraft that will use Terminal 3," he said.

He noted that Piatco calls Terminal 3 a world-class facility, but the existence of only one international runway at the airport complex makes it practically outmoded.

He added that Terminal 3 may have the latest and modern security system in the world but the airport design makes it a laughing stock around the world. "Where can you see a purported world-class airport with one runway and no cargo terminal? Only in the Philippines."

Soliman said other world-class airports have a number of runways like Chep Lak Kok in Hong Kong and Inchon in South Korea.

Chep Lap Kok has provisions for four parallel runways and a land area of more than 2,000 hectares, while Inchon has provisions for eight parallel runways and a land area of 6,000 hectares.

According to Soliman, NAIA’s international taxiway has a centerline distance of only 150 meters from the runway centerline, inn violation of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, which call for 182 meters.

He said the arrival of super jumbo jets will require the distance to go up to 192 meters between the international taxiway centerline and the runway centerline.

"Because of the close centerline distance, big jets are at risk of colliding with each other," he stressed.

Soliman also said that having one runway is very restrictive. "During an accident on the runway, which has happened in the past, its closure will affect both arriving and departing international and domestic planes."

He recalled that on Oct. 23, 2001, the international runway was closed for more than four hours after a departing jet met an accident at the runway, diverting many flights and stranding passengers.

"We don’t want to be negative, but an accident of similar nature could happen in the future if the problem is not corrected," he added.