Air traffic mismanagement

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport is no longer big enough!

As more Filipinos travel by air, we learn that delays in flights are no longer just the fault of the airlines. Many travelers have noticed that even when their aircraft actually leave the terminal on schedule, there is an increasing probability that the plane will “sit” on the tarmac for 10 to 20 minutes to line-up for take off.

Last week when we left Manila for Davao, our take-off was delayed by approximately 20 minutes because there were five planes ahead of us also waiting to take off. Adding to the delay was an equal number of planes also waiting to land.

Last Monday, our Cebu Pacific flight was operating on precision clockwork. The plane from Manila unloaded passengers and cargo, loaded up our group and was ready to fly out of Davao on schedule. Then the Captain announced that the Manila tower was implementing an “air traffic flow control” and that our plane had to stay on the tarmac for half an hour.

The reason behind the delay is the fact that there are now more airlines, more flights and more planes operating on a limited air space and two antiquated runways.

To solve the problem some people want to relocate the “General Aviation sector” which is composed of private firms, private aircraft and planes operated for cargo to another area because they represent 40 percent of the air traffic and ground activity.

In support of this idea, Batangas Congressmen Hermilando Mandanas and Llandro “Dong” Mendoza are pushing for the improvement of the Fernando Air Force base in Lipa City, Batangas and convert it into a “mix use” facility.

This way, the Philippine Air Force will have a much better airport, the General Aviation sector will have less “competition” for fly in - fly out operations and Batangas province and Lipa City will benefit from the economic stimulus created by a new and improved “airport”.

The Batanguenos will have to work hard at sweetening the pot because businessmen who have corporate and personal stakes in the General Aviation sector like Ramon Ang, president of San Miguel Corporation, believe that Sangley Naval base would be a lot closer and with less obstructions in terms of flight paths because the runway shoots into Manila Bay.

Whether the two provinces and services of the Armed Forces will engage in a “friendly” competition to woo developers remains to be seen. But what the flying public, the aviation industry and Philippine Tourism can no longer afford, is to be kept waiting in mid-air or grounded until the government comes up with a better solution than “air traffic management”.

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Speaking of Ramon Ang and San Miguel Corporation, some investment bankers and stockbrokers would pay good money just to place a bug in his office in order to get insider info on the corporation’s plans. This of course is unnecessary, because Ang is the equivalent of a promotions bureau with legs, as he shares concepts and ideas with people he comes across.

Well aware of what his critics have been saying, Ang has been quick to address stockbrokers’ hesitations about SMC investments in businesses that are not “core competencies” of San Miguel.

Success as they say is the best evidence and this is what Ramon Ang puts on the table to silence the doubters.

At the moment, the current value of San Miguel stocks represents profits from traditional businesses only. But once profits from new businesses are reflected there is no doubt that the current price or value of SMC stocks will be posting a serious increase.

When Ang stirred the pot of Meralco shares, people would not believe his claims that the shares would be worth much more. When all bids and deals were done, share prices broke all previous records. When SMC got into Petron, Ang drove the managers at a fevered pitch and demanding expansion, expansion, expansion!

As a result, Petron leads all brands in market presence and has sustained its industry leadership. As for the “experts” still waiting for “established track record”, their clients will ultimately be missing the ship called “profits”, as others keep buying up any shares that has San Miguel Corporation’s name on it.

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Now that the Aquino administration has succeeded in delaying the executions of the “China-3”, do we simply wait for the “inevitable”?

Rather than bite our nails in suspense, what about the possibility of a “prisoner exchange program” just like we supposedly have with Spain. As I recall, a convicted criminal who lived in the Philippines most of his life but had Spanish citizenship was allowed to serve out his sentence in a Spanish jail.

Considering all the legal and diplomatic work, blood money and political fallout, it might not be impossible to work out prisoner exchange treaties. Not only can we save lives, such a system establishes a humane and considerate system for relatives of the convicts, who would at least have proximity to their loved ones in their own countries.

If foreigner judges took one look at our prisons, I am certain that they would dismiss any fears of special treatments or an easier sentence. In addition, if foreign criminals know that they will face musketry or hanging in their country once they are sent back, we would have a deterrent of sorts but not at our expense.

If the administration and our legislators would consider the idea, one way of making the idea work is by asking the United Nations and other global organizations to promote and support the idea. Let nations absorb the responsibility of imposing justice on their respective nationals in a manner that is culturally accepted and humane.

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