Airport Terminal 3

[qman]

[SIZE=4]Gov’t mulls NAIA 1 burning to force Terminal 3 opening[/SIZE]


Saturday, 04 02, 2005

Plans are reportedly afoot among Arroyo govern-ment officials to get the old Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to “accidentally” burn and force the transfer of international airlines and ground handling services as well as other concessionaires to the new NAIA Terminal 3, a industry source told the Tribune yesterday.

The source explained that the plan is presently being discussed as a solution to force the airlines to move to new, state of the art terminal without going through the process of issuing iron-clad contracts to them, or persuade them to sign memorandums of agreement with the Manila International Airport Authority, as they would have nowhere else to go but NAIA 3.

“This way too, the government can exercise ownership rights despite a court order, and even operate the new airport without having to shell out a single centavo to Piatco, since this would be seen as a 'force majeure',” the source said.

Already, it was touch and go at the Naia yesterday after an accidental fire at a nearby factory resulted in temporarily casting a cloud of black smoke over the runway.

At least three domestic flights were temporarily put to hold in the runways around 1:30 p.m. after the smoke from the fire from a burning factory at the nearby Kaingin road spewed smoke,several kilometers high.

Winds cast the smoke over the runway.

At least three midsized passenger aircrafts ,including ones bearing colors of Air Philippines,and Cebu Pacific were put on hold.

Around 1:40 p.m.,a green military Hercules C-130 was allowed to lift off ahead of the passenger planes.

Responding units from the volunteer fire brigades of the nearby Sto Nino and Dongalo baranggays put out the fire.

A prop-driven Asian Spirit was seen landing immediately afte the smoke was suppressed.

It was also learned that the Airline Operators Council (AOC), an organization of 29 international airlines and seven ground handling services companies privately expressed strong apprehension over the reported government's move which is short of forcing the airline companies operating at airport terminal 1 to transfer their operations at the controversial NAIA Terminal 3 before its scheduled opening in June.

Some AOC members, who talked on condition of anonymity, telegraphed their fear that the government would create a scenario of a “force majeure” that would leave them no choice but to transfer their offices the controversial newly-built NAIA Terminal 3.

Terminal 3 is currently embroiled in a legal battle between its builder, the Philippine International Air Terminals Co. (Piatco) and the Arroyo government over the issue of compensation, following President Arroyo's expropriation of the terminal.

The issue of the compensation, a Pasay City Regional Trial Court ruled, should first be resolved before the government could take over, operate the terminal and exercise ownership rights.

They cited an incident in the past, nine months before martial law was declared by former President Ferdinand Marcos, that the old Manila International Airport (MIA) Terminal was razed by a fire of suspicious origin on the night of Jan. 21, 1972 to make way for the emergency construction of the now NAIA Terminal 1.

The Marcos government at that time, reportedly wanted to create a new authority to oversee the entire operations of the airport terminal that led to the creation of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and the building of a new international airport then called the Manila International Airport (MIA) Terminal.

After the Edsa Revolt in 1986, however, then installed President Corazon Aquino had it renamed after her husband, who was slain in the airport tarmac on Aug. 17, 1987 by Republic Act 6639.

The name Terminal 1 came after the completion of the NAIA Centennial Terminal 2 was completed in Dec. 28, 1998.

Airport sources pointed out that the scenario of another airport burning which will then be projected as a “force majuere” is meant to force the opening of Terminal 3 for arrival operations only.

All arrival flights will be operated at the NAIA Terminal 3, and all departure flights will be operated at the Philippine Village Hotel (PVH), located beside the NAIA Centennial Terminal 2.

After check-in and exit clearing by Immigration officers at the PVH, departing passengers will be transferred by bus from PVII to NAIA Terminal 3, using the airport perimeter road where passengers will board their planes at the tarmac of NAIA Terminal 3. The plane will taxi out from the tarmac and head toward runway 06-24 for take-off.

Sources also said that conducting arrival operations at the NAIA 3 will be easier than departure operations, as luggage of arriving, passengers can be manually operated on a flight to flight basis.

AOC is said to be resisting the Arroyo administration's move for its members to transfer their operations from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 before the scheduled opening, saying they need time to seek the approval of home office, as well as prepare for the funding for the transfer and refurbishing of their offices and the training of their employees.

It was reported that the airline companies need at least six months from the issuance of the contract by the Manila International Airport Authority for them to transfer their offices to Terminal 3. Moreover, the plan to transfer international flight operations to terminal 3 will come at a time considered as peak season, and would cause confusion on all aspects of travel.

The government wants Terminal 3 to be operational on June 21, But no foreign airline has so far transferred to the new terminal, Unless a situation of a “force majeure” reminiscent of the fire in January 1972 at the Old MIA Terminal comes about, there will not be a single foreign airline company operating. With additional reporting from Benjamin B. Pulta

[cyberdoc95]

[SIZE=4]Gov’t mulls NAIA 1 burning to force Terminal 3 opening[/SIZE]


Saturday, 04 02, 2005

Plans are reportedly afoot among Arroyo govern-ment officials to get the old Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to “accidentally” burn and force the transfer of international airlines and ground handling services as well as other concessionaires to the new NAIA Terminal 3, a industry source told the Tribune yesterday.

The source explained that the plan is presently being discussed as a solution to force the airlines to move to new, state of the art terminal without going through the process of issuing iron-clad contracts to them, or persuade them to sign memorandums of agreement with the Manila International Airport Authority, as they would have nowhere else to go but NAIA 3.

“This way too, the government can exercise ownership rights despite a court order, and even operate the new airport without having to shell out a single centavo to Piatco, since this would be seen as a 'force majeure',” the source said.

Already, it was touch and go at the Naia yesterday after an accidental fire at a nearby factory resulted in temporarily casting a cloud of black smoke over the runway.

At least three domestic flights were temporarily put to hold in the runways around 1:30 p.m. after the smoke from the fire from a burning factory at the nearby Kaingin road spewed smoke,several kilometers high.

Winds cast the smoke over the runway.

At least three midsized passenger aircrafts ,including ones bearing colors of Air Philippines,and Cebu Pacific were put on hold.

Around 1:40 p.m.,a green military Hercules C-130 was allowed to lift off ahead of the passenger planes.

Responding units from the volunteer fire brigades of the nearby Sto Nino and Dongalo baranggays put out the fire.

A prop-driven Asian Spirit was seen landing immediately afte the smoke was suppressed.

It was also learned that the Airline Operators Council (AOC), an organization of 29 international airlines and seven ground handling services companies privately expressed strong apprehension over the reported government's move which is short of forcing the airline companies operating at airport terminal 1 to transfer their operations at the controversial NAIA Terminal 3 before its scheduled opening in June.

Some AOC members, who talked on condition of anonymity, telegraphed their fear that the government would create a scenario of a “force majeure” that would leave them no choice but to transfer their offices the controversial newly-built NAIA Terminal 3.

Terminal 3 is currently embroiled in a legal battle between its builder, the Philippine International Air Terminals Co. (Piatco) and the Arroyo government over the issue of compensation, following President Arroyo's expropriation of the terminal.

The issue of the compensation, a Pasay City Regional Trial Court ruled, should first be resolved before the government could take over, operate the terminal and exercise ownership rights.

They cited an incident in the past, nine months before martial law was declared by former President Ferdinand Marcos, that the old Manila International Airport (MIA) Terminal was razed by a fire of suspicious origin on the night of Jan. 21, 1972 to make way for the emergency construction of the now NAIA Terminal 1.

The Marcos government at that time, reportedly wanted to create a new authority to oversee the entire operations of the airport terminal that led to the creation of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and the building of a new international airport then called the Manila International Airport (MIA) Terminal.

After the Edsa Revolt in 1986, however, then installed President Corazon Aquino had it renamed after her husband, who was slain in the airport tarmac on Aug. 17, 1987 by Republic Act 6639.

The name Terminal 1 came after the completion of the NAIA Centennial Terminal 2 was completed in Dec. 28, 1998.

Airport sources pointed out that the scenario of another airport burning which will then be projected as a “force majuere” is meant to force the opening of Terminal 3 for arrival operations only.

All arrival flights will be operated at the NAIA Terminal 3, and all departure flights will be operated at the Philippine Village Hotel (PVH), located beside the NAIA Centennial Terminal 2.

After check-in and exit clearing by Immigration officers at the PVH, departing passengers will be transferred by bus from PVII to NAIA Terminal 3, using the airport perimeter road where passengers will board their planes at the tarmac of NAIA Terminal 3. The plane will taxi out from the tarmac and head toward runway 06-24 for take-off.

Sources also said that conducting arrival operations at the NAIA 3 will be easier than departure operations, as luggage of arriving, passengers can be manually operated on a flight to flight basis.

AOC is said to be resisting the Arroyo administration's move for its members to transfer their operations from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 before the scheduled opening, saying they need time to seek the approval of home office, as well as prepare for the funding for the transfer and refurbishing of their offices and the training of their employees.

It was reported that the airline companies need at least six months from the issuance of the contract by the Manila International Airport Authority for them to transfer their offices to Terminal 3. Moreover, the plan to transfer international flight operations to terminal 3 will come at a time considered as peak season, and would cause confusion on all aspects of travel.

The government wants Terminal 3 to be operational on June 21, But no foreign airline has so far transferred to the new terminal, Unless a situation of a “force majeure” reminiscent of the fire in January 1972 at the Old MIA Terminal comes about, there will not be a single foreign airline company operating. With additional reporting from Benjamin B. Pulta

Kayo naman, another conspiracy theory na naman ito para mapaaga ang transfer??!!:bwahaha: He he he!! Buti nga kasi I'm getting sick of NAIA 1. Its really old. When they say na your impression of a country can be made as soon as you step on the airport upon arrival, this is really true! Sa dinadami ko nang napupuntahang bansa at naglalakihang airports, kapag bumibisita ako ng Pinas ay napakasakit tingnan na napakaluma na ng airport sa atin, unless you fly PAL sa NAIA 2. But majority of flights ay nasa NAIA 1 pa rin.

Hindi lang siya luma, napakaliit pa. You can't help but really point to the government and say: "hoy mga magnanakaw, pwede ba magpagawa naman kayo ng desenteng airport. Sa bilyones na nautang ng Pilipinas, wala lang ba napunta sa pag-renovate ng airport or pagpapagawa ng bago?!"

Yun lang Po! PEACE!