CAAP exec urges next admin to work on automation of air travel ops

Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Chief of Staff Atty. Danjun Lucas urged the next administration to continue pushing for the automation of air travel operations.

During Tuesday's Laging Handa public briefing, Lucas said the automation should cover communication, navigation, surveillance, and the air traffic management system.

“Sa hanay po ng aviation sector, tuloy-tuloy pa rin po sana ang ating endorsement doon sa continuous automation ng ating system sa ating mga paliparan,” he said.

(In terms of the aviation sector, we hope the next administration will continue to endorse the automation of our airport systems.)

Lucas added that the next administration should also construct more airports and related infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Lucas questioned the basis of a study by American luggage app Bounce, which concluded that the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) was the world's worst airport for business class travelers.

Nevertheless, the CAAP Chief of Staff said that concerned agencies were considering the report to improve the airport's performance.

Based on Bounce's Business Class Index, NAIA had a 0.88/10 business class score, ranking 38th out of 38 busy airports all over the world.

The study looked at the airports' number of lounges, the destinations served, percentage of on-time flights annually, and Skytrax rating. — DVM, GMA News