OLONGAPO CITY — Beyond the criticisms and blame game on the recent of the series of operational problems at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is the discussion and implementation of permanent solution to improve the country’s main gateway, presidential candidate Mar Roxas said yesterday.
If elected, Roxas vowed to maximize the use of the Clark International Airport and eventually convert it to become the primary airport of the country.
“For many years, I have always said we should open Clark as our primary airport. Clark has 4,000 hectares, NAIA has only 400 hectares,” Roxas told reporters in an interview here.
The problem with the NAIA, according to Roxas, is it limited space which means limited operation that eventually results in the delay of the flights.
For instance, he said that the NAIA has only two runways which is unfortunately opposite to each other, meaning, it cannot be used at the same time.
And such limited space, which prevents expansion, is also the reason why NAIA could no longer accommodate more flights, especially coming from abroad.
“Whichever way we look at it, NAIA is limited in terms of land, space, number of terminals, and the number of airplanes that can land there because the runways are directly opposite each other,” said Roxas.
Roxas said Clark airport promises a much better main airport system for the country, particularly because of its huge space.
The huge space at Clark could translate to more than five NAIAs inside and it means more flights that could be accommodated and likewise convenience both to airline companies and the commuters.
