PARAÑAQUE CITY, May 11 (PIA)--Airport and aviation authorities are laying down the foundation for the next management as stricter measures have been crafted to make sure that slot allocations for flights are maximized and are actually flown.
Such measures are detailed in a memorandum of agreement signed today by the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
The agreement states that the misuse of slots will be subject to sanctions including the termination of operations or the forfeiture of acquired slots; an imposition of lower priority on the airline for future slot requests; and the imposition of fines by the CAB or CAAP.
The misuse of slots includes the holding of slots that an airline does not intend to operate; the intentional operation of a flight at a significantly different time from its approved schedule; and the operation of flights without a slot.
CAB Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla explains that the agreement basically requires airlines to utilize their slot or face the risk of losing it.
He adds the demand for a slot to fly from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport has been increasing.
“We want to make sure that slots are available for any airline which intends to use the airport,” Arcilla says.
In 2015, a daily average of 684 flight movements was recorded at the NAIA out of the available 880 allocations.
CAAP Director General William Hotchkiss III says that the stricter and more detailed guidelines on slot usage will also guarantee smoother airport operations.
“We are also able to address the concern of flight delay by means of this agreement as we dedicate each and every slot to registered flights. Removing those not cleared to fly allows us to follow a day’s official schedule to the second,” Hotchkiss says.
The agreement also covers the procedure which airlines have to observe in registering for a slot at the NAIA.
In particular, after gaining approval of a desired schedule from the Airport Coordination Australia – the NAIA’s third-party slot coordinator – airlines must gain clearance from the MIAA and the CAAP for terminal and runway clearance respectively.
Authorizations from the three agencies are required before airlines file their application to operate with the CAB.
MIAA General Manager Jose Angel Honrado says that this agreement is the legacy of the three agencies to the next airport and aviation authorities.
“The direction of the authorities remains clear despite any change in management. This agreement will provide the framework for the next administration in working towards passenger convenience and global standards in airport operations – the same goals we held to these past years,” Honrado says.
To ensure compliance from the airlines, the CAB has put in place Monitoring and Public Assistance Desks at the terminals that will respond to passenger concerns and monitor the operations of airlines.
The CAB has entered into separate agreements with the MIAA, CAAP, and other local airports respectively for the deployment of these assistance desks. (MIAA/RJB/SDL/PIA-NCR)
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