Ugly truth about Clark

BRUBAL THRUST

By Louie Logarta

The influential International Air Transport Association (IATA), to the dismay of possibly the majority of Kapampangans, has effectively lain to rest all speculations that Clark International Airport is going to be transformed into the country’s premier gateway. 

Just to give you an idea of how powerful it is that it can sway the thinking of governments, IATA is the international industry trade group which represents some 240 airlines comprising an estimated 85 percent of air traffic worldwide. 

In any case, that distinction still rests on the shoulders of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), a 32-year old facility which unfortunately is nearing the point of obsolescence unless the government pumps in the billions needed for modernization to bring it up to global standards.

Based on the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, the Philippines comes out as No. 112 out of 130 countries surveyed in terms of quality of air transport infrastructure. According to the WEF index, the NAIA is not far from the level of countries like Nepal, Mongolia and Bangladesh. Which only means that it doesn’t even come close to the likes of Singapore (with its world-famed Changi Airport), Hong Kong (with Chek Lap Kok Airport), Bangkok, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.

Furthermore, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) International Aviation Safety Assessment Program in 2008 placed the Philippines in its Category 2 list due to deficiencies noted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in its Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program.

Flag carriers from the Philippines have also been banned in European Union countries since 2010 due to lack of confidence in the safety oversight capabilities of the Philippines. In other words, planes originating from Manila are seen as easily susceptible to terrorists, which is why they aren’t welcome in the EU unless drastic changes are effected in our security set-up.

During his visit to the country last month, IATA chief executive officer Tony Tyler minced no words in declaring that Malacañang would be making a huge mistake if it were to substitute Clark for the NAIA which is already operating at near-capacity.

“Clark is not a solution to the long-term issue of capacity to service the market because it’s too far away from Manila, and it’s in Manila where people want to come for business, for tourism, among others. Something needs to be done to provide adequate capacity in Manila, but Clark is not a solution,” he was quoted as telling a news conference.

Tyler said he would be urging President Aquino, during a scheduled courtesy call in Malacañang, to prioritize the building of a hub airport for Manila instead of splitting the traffic with Clark in its present form as this wouldn’t be enough to put the Philippines on the same playing field as its much more competitive neighbors.

Tyler’s unflattering remarks about Clark were naturally lambasted by various civic and business organizations groups around as they were seen to dampen hopes of making it an engine of growth vital in kick-starting the moribund business climate in Pampanga, A killjoy, they said he was.

“(It’s) just another one of a long line of lackeys  of some vested interest groups opposed to the full development of our country’s future premier gateway,” the non-government organization calling itself ABE Kapampangan said in a statement released to media. 

“Tyler, who is a foreigner, has no right to dictate upon President Noynoy Aquino on what should be our country’s best airport development policy and strategy — a critical issue that has tremendous impact on our overall social and economic development.”

Unfortunately, affected Kapampangans may actually be barking up the wrong tree. Rather than IATA’s Tyler, all this anger and bile being spewed should instead be directed at Aquino and his bright boys in Malacañang because they are the ones responsible for making all the important choices.

Speaking to newsmen immediately after he had anointed Fr. Ed Panlilio as the Liberal Party’s official candidate for governor in the 2013 elections during a brief ceremony in San Fernando City Hall in  front of some 2,000 supporters the other week, we were told that Aquino inadvertently betrayed the cards he was meaning to hold close to his chest.

In some of his off-the-cuff remarks, P-Noy admitted that the national government, as of this present time, really has no plans of converting Clark airport into the country’s new international gateway in place of the nearly-obsolete NAIA.

And the most important factor, he said, in arriving at this decision is that there is no high-speed train connection between Clark Freeport and Metro Manila (nor would there be in the foreseeable future due to the tremendous capital outlay required) which would make the commute of the 80-kilometer distance between them feasible and palatable to all concerned, especially business travelers and tourists.

Without the high-speed train, Mr. Aquino said it would be inadvisable to maintain Clark as the main international airport primarily because of the existing horrible traffic conditions, making travel time to and from Metro Manila highly unpredictable.

“Wherever did they get the impression that the government was seemingly inclined to make Clark as the new international gateway?” according to a knowledgeable source in the National Economic Development Authority.

The same source told us that something more desirable and acceptable is the proposal aired recently by San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang to put up within the next three years, together with the group of taipan Lucio Tan, a P500-billion state-of-the-art terminal facility to serve exclusively the fleet of Philippine Airlines, as this would be much closer to Metro Manila than Clark.