No to shutdown of airspace on May 17
A HOUSE leader has urged authorities to reconsider their plan to shut down Philippine airspace for six hours on May 17th to install a new facility for air traffic.
Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman said the country has experts and topnotch engineers who can address the problems of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) without shutting down the operations and affecting the travelers.
“I’m sure marami tayong eksperto kaya puwedeng magawan ng paraan na hindi na maaapektuhan ang mga pasahero at airline companies sa pagkabit ng mga pasilidad na ‘yan,” Roman, chairperson of the House committee on women’s rights and gender equality, said in a statement.
Following the May 1 power outage in the Terminal 3 of NAIA, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) had announced the closure from midnight to 6:00 am on May 17th for the installation of an uninterruptible power unit for the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAAP) traffic monitoring activities.
The lawmaker expressed concern that the closure would mostly affect budget airlines’ promotions, which offer cheaper fares during the late hours. She also highlighted the possible negative effects of the closure on subsequent flights and tourism during the summer.
“Pinakamura ang tiket sa hatinggabi o madaling araw kaya ‘yan ang kinukuha kadalasan ng mga gustong mamasyal. Isipin natin kung ano ang domino effect ng closure na ‘yan sa mga susunod na flights o kaparehong flights sa susunod na araw. Panahon ng turismo ang summer, sana maisip nila,” the solon added.
Roman also said that such power outages, which caused inconvenience to passengers and disrupted airport operations, should not happen again.
She supported an investigation into the root cause of the outages and urged authorities to take necessary steps to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
The representative encouraged the public to communicate their concerns and complaints through proper channels and assured them that she would work closely with concerned authorities to address the issue.
“Iparamdam natin sa kanila na kailangan nilang magtrabaho ng pulido,” Roman added.
Roman emphasized the importance of improving the country’s infrastructure, particularly in airports, to ensure the smooth and efficient movement of people and goods.
She is currently pursuing the Magna Carta for Public Land Transport Workers (House Bill 5534) which aims to promote the rights and privileges of public transport workers in accordance with the principle of equal opportunity.
