NAIA: Worst Airport in Asia, 5th in the World

**Monseratto** · December 24th, 2013 10:14 AM

Don't mind the mess at NAIA 1 next year...

DOTC awards NAIA 1 rehab to DMCI, gives Dec. 1, 2014 deadline | Economy | GMA News Online

DOTC awards NAIA 1 rehab to DMCI, gives Dec. 1, 2014 deadline
December 24, 2013 12:50am

The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) chose listed construction heavyweight D.M. Consunji, Inc. on Monday to rehabilitate the 32-year-old Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1, the country's main air travel gateway to the the rest of the world.

DOTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said DMCI must complete the project by December 1, 2014—just before the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) senior officials' and high-level meetings, which the Philippines will host.

“We will try our best to complete it, we are really behind but that is our target. This is long overdue and hopefully it will be completed as scheduled,” Abaya said.

Secretary Abaya made the NAIA 1 contract award to DMCI public during the inauguration of three Philippine National Railway stations, which the same firm undertook and completed.

Passengers wait for their luggage at the NAIA Terminal 1 in this photo taken April 27, 2013 and released May 1. Reuters/Cheryl Ravelo
Project cost: P1.299B

Highly-anticipated and much-scrutinized, the NAIA 1 rehab contract is worth P1.299 billion and covers structural refitting and the improvement of mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection facilities and architectural works.

The contract does involve the operation and maintenance of the oldest and most congested international airport.

To oversee the project, engineering firm TCGI Engineers was also awarded on Monday the separate contract for the NAIA 1 rehab construction management and supervision - a P34.492 million deal.

Some P500 million of the alloted funds for the NAIA 1 rehab project was earmarked for structural and aesthetic work.

The construction of a rapid exit taxiway could cost P300 million, though it would ease runway congestion and minimize delays of incoming or outgoing flights.

For the repair and rehabilitiation of 72 restrooms, some P20 million is allocated.

Only last October, "The Guide to Sleeping in Airports", a travel website, said NAIA 1 was the worst airport in terms of "comfort, amenities and overall experience."

**Retz** · December 27th, 2013 04:23 PM

^

dapat by phasing or sa gabi lang pwede gumawa operational ang airport pero gipit na sa oras only 11 months left.

**cardict** · December 28th, 2013 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by Retz

^

dapat by phasing or sa gabi lang pwede gumawa operational ang airport pero gipit na sa oras only 11 months left.

Doable maybe,section by section 24/7,

**Monseratto** · January 31st, 2014 12:21 PM

The facelift (beautification) has begun...Unfortunately using the same outdated structure won't address the overcapacity. Hopefully the press release that some of the international airlines will move to T3 will address some of that.

**Retz** · January 31st, 2014 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by cardict

Doable maybe,section by section 24/7,

yes sir, ang mahirap dyan I think ung sa structural kasi may retroffiting na gagawin. babakbakin mo pa ung lupa to retroffit the footings and columns yan ata primary issue dyan kaya hindi ma full blast gamit ng T3.

**chrismarte** · January 31st, 2014 01:06 PM

sa arrival, grabe bitak bitak nung kalsada yung trolley di maka andar ng maayos

**Retz** · January 31st, 2014 01:09 PM

^

kailangan pa ata lagyan ng suspension ung trolley sir. hehe

**CVT** · January 31st, 2014 04:14 PM

And currently, the world's most inconvenient terminal (???)

**Monseratto** · February 11th, 2014 01:58 PM

I guess the goverment will say there's always next year...and the year after that.... baka maka tsamba eventually.

At least we get to keep the 747s and A340s longer, since they are the only planes we are allowed to use under CAT 2.

CAAP flunks US safety ‘test’ again
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Published : Monday, February 10, 2014 00:00

THE Philippines is still a long way from getting a ‘Category 1’ status upgrade from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States after again failing the latest round of assessments conducted by US aviation safety experts last month.From reliable sources inside the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), People’s Tonight learned that the FAA team, headed by Gregory Michaels of the Flight Safety Service, delivered the bad news during the exit briefing they had with CAAP officials last January 24.

Departing from the usual practice during previous exit briefings, the CAAP, sources noted, limited the January 24 briefing to only three of its top officials -- Deputy Director John Andrews, Beda Badiola, head of the Flight Safety Inspectorate Service (FSIS), and Rodante Joya, chief financial officer. Taking record and notes of the briefing was a female secretary.

CAAP top honcho, DG William Hotchkiss, was out of the country at the time, the sources added.

The CAAP leadership is allegedly “desperate” to hide the embarrassing FAA findings from the public, especially from the “prying eyes of the media.”

But a verbatim transcript of the discussion, consisting of three pages, provided by sources to this reporter disclosed that the CAAP, not for the last time, failed in the area of primary aviation legislation, technical personnel qualification and training, technical guidance and certification personnel and procedures.

These failures constitute half of the “eight critical elements” that the FAA has been monitoring for “safety oversight” compliance by civil aviation authorities (CAA) of other countries.

This “checklist” is based on the international aviation safety standards as approved by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Based on the discussion, Michaels noted they have “no findings” in the areas of specific operating regulations, organization structure surveillance obligations and resolution of safety issues. It can be presumed that the CAAP have passed the FAA scrutiny of these areas, the sources pointed out.

FAA rules require that the CAA of other countries need to pass all the eight critical elements under its checklist before they can be upgraded to ‘Category 1’ or “safe status.”

With the latest result, the country remains stuck under ‘Category 2’ or “unsafe status” list of the FAA.

This effectively bans PH-based carriers from entering again the lucrative US market while also damaging the country’s international image and its effort to bring in foreign tourists thru local carriers.

The FAA first downgraded the Philippines in late 2007 and downgraded it again after flunking a major safety audit in 2012, the first under the Aquino administration.

To date, only Philippine Airlines (PAL) is allowed entry in the US mainland but its entry is limited to a few of its old aircrafts and subject to “heightened surveillance” by US air safety regulators.

Now under pressure to resign is Andrews, who, last November, claimed that he would “resign” by the end of 2013 should the FAA again ruled adversely against the CAAP.

“... If that (upgrade) does not happen, the buck stops at me. If this does not happen before the end of the year, I will no longer be here. That is my commitment,” Andrews told the media back then.

Andrews, sources confirmed, has taken a leave of absence from February 3 to February 14 “for reasons known only to him and DG Hotchkiss.”

Hotchkiss, on February 3, initially replaced Andrews with Joya but four days later, Joya was replaced by Artemio Orozco, a former 2-star military general and chief of staff to Hotchkiss.

**Monseratto** · February 11th, 2014 03:30 PM

PH fails to get US aviation upgrade

PH fails to get US aviation upgrade
BY RAPPLER.COM
POSTED ON 02/11/2014 12:08 PM | UPDATED 02/11/2014 2:13 PM

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines failed to get a much-coveted aviation rating upgrade from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which still found the country "unsafe" in a recent audit.

This means Philippine carriers are still banned from opening new routes or mounting additional flights to the US.

In January, an FAA team visited the country to review compliance of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) with international safety standards, and left giving an unfavorable exit interview.

Transcripts of the interview obtained by from CAAP sources showed the Philippines failed to regain Category 1 status and remained in the FAA's Category 2 list.

The FAA downgraded the safety rating of CAAP in 2008 upon the recommendation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). In an audit, ICAO found "significant concerns" over the CAAP's ability to meet international safety standards.

The exit interview was conducted last January 24, according to the transcript. The FAA is expected to announce the findings in Washington soon. – Rappler.com