Filtered By: Topstories
News
XIAMEN AIR INCIDENT

Poe seeks Senate probe into NAIA’s operational paralysis


Senator Grace Poe filed on Monday a resolution urging the Senate to investigate the airport paralysis that happened when a Xiamen Airlines plane skidded off the runway at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport last week.

In Resolution 852, Poe said the Senate committee on public services, which she heads, should probe the aeronautical and non-aeronautical facets f the airport as well as aviation the authorities’ broken system of regulatory response that became apparent during a mishap that affected thousands of passengers and cause substantial flight cancellations.

“(The investigation would) review airport operations and management, assessing tourism, economic and investment impacts, and protecting the interests of passengers and the country as a whole,” she said.

Social media was bursting with comments and stories from hapless passengers who said they were not being accommodated for rebooking as airline ticketing counters were closed, the senator noted, citing that some of the were not even given free meals, or water for several hours.

Some overseas Filipino workers decided to buy another ticket just to get to their work on schedule, highlighting the need to fully enforce the Air Passenger Bill of Rights, the senator said.

The incident revealed the grim situation of airport terminals even after the aircraft has been removed from Runway 06/24 and the airport was opened, said Poe.

She enumerated the lack of facilities for the stranded overseas Filipino workers and tourists who decided to stay at the airport terminals. Flight monitors were not updated that airline staff were walking around the premises with pieces of paper on which flight details were written as they called on passengers for boarding.

The airport was in chaos as passengers stuck inside the terminals also waited for a response to their queries from airport officials or airline crew.

“Since NAIA is the Philippines’ gateway to the world, the runway mishap brings a lot of questions: Don’t we have the protocols, needed equipment, and manpower to address these kinds of incident? Do we really need at least 36 hours or 1 and 1/2 days to clear our runways?” said Poe.

There is a need to conduct a full assessment of the impacts of two days of flight cancellations, regarding lost income and opportunities as well as the impact on tourism, trade, the economy, and human resources, according to the senator.

The authorities that should be on top of these kinds of situations have a lot of explaining to do and they should immediately convene a meeting of some sort to figure out what they could have done better and faster and what equipment they lack, Poe noted.

“The incident is truly a jolting wake-up call and we cannot afford to be the epitome of the worst airport in the world again,” she said.

The Xiamen Air incident showed us that the premiere was ill-equipped in crisis management, Poe said.

Proposals to modernize, expand, and construct an additional runway, and possibly transfer it to a larger area to meet growing demand should be seriously considered, she added.

The hearing will be on August 29, 9:30 am.

Poe said among those who will be invited are Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade; representatives of airlines such as Xiamen Air, Philippine Airlines, and Cebu Pacific; airport officials; and other service providers.

“Nais nating magpaliwanag ang awtoridad ng airport pero hindi lamang ‘yun, kasama na din diyan ang Xiamen Airlines mismo, ano ba ang nangyari at ano din ang kanilang liability sa atin?” she said in an interview during the 79th birth anniversary of her late father, Fernando Poe Jr.

“Kasi alam mo, napakalaking gastos niyan, hindi lamang sa gobyerno natin, kundi ang mga ibang airlines din doon. Kailangan talagang may managot dito financially,” she added.

The senator said she will also ask for the presence of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation officials to give light to the supposed plan to use Nayong Pilipino as another runway.

“Dahil may proposal na ang lupa ng Nayong Pilipino, imbes na gawing casino, ay puwedeng gawing isa pang runway para sa airport. Kung ito ba ay totoo, o ito ba ay isang pag-aaral na maaari nating gawin kasi malaking tulong ‘yan para mabawasan ang kasikipan at delay sa airport,” she said. —VDS/RSJ, GMA News

 

LOADING CONTENT