THE Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) closed a portion of runway 13-31 from January 15 to February 28 for upgrading, a move that has caused traffic congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).

During the third quarter of 2006, some 300 meters of the southend portion of the runway was closed for upgrading at a cost of P300 million.

This time, the runway’s northern end is also being refurbished to allow runway 13-31 to accommodate taxiing large-body aircraft such as B-747, B-777 or Airbus 340.

However, the closure shows that there is not enough area for airplanes to move about, which taxed to the limit the air controller’s capacity and in the end, forced aircraft to wait for some time before they can take off or land.

More often, airplanes have had to wait more than 30 minutes before being given the clearance to take off.

Even without closing runway 13-31, however, air carrier executives said there’s still not enough elbow room for aircraft to maneuver because aircraft volume had increased in number over the years, while the country’s premier airport is stuck with one small runway and one big runway but converging and not parallel in design, according to the Air Transportation Office (ATO).

Crossing each other like a huge X, the runways are dangerous to operate simultaneously, especially at night or in bad weather, because of the possibility of collision when two aircraft that are about to land on either runway, continue their course after executing a mis-approach after failing to see the runway.

Hence, current runway designs are always made parallel to each other.

This crossing runway-design problem is a headache not only to ATO but to the Miaa as well. Naia frequently upgrades the runway and taxiway facilities, but doesn’t actually provide increased usable space.

According to aviation sources, air controllers are now looking for remedial measures to limit aircraft operations to diminish delays and also to minimize the chances of air accidents.

An ATO study shows that air traffic congestion at the Naia starts at 7 a.m. until 5 p.m., with peak volume reaching 38 aircraft per hour between 3 to 4 p.m.

“Sometimes, we handle 53 aircraft per hour because the Naia is unique among other airports that we have a mixture of commercial planes, general aviation, helicopters, military and small aircraft,” said a source at the ATO who asked not to be named because of the sensitive nature of the problem.

In many international airports abroad such as Hong Kong’ Chep Lap Kok, Kansai in Japan and others, they only handle commercial aircraft. General aviation aircraft such as those for air charter, flying schools, executive jets and helicopters are located in a separate area far away from the international operations.

Kansai Airport, including other airports abroad, also limits aircraft operations to a maximum of 30 landings and takeoff per hour.

Kansai airport practice what is called “slotting” where the number of takeoff and landings are spread over a period of time to lessen the volume during peak traffic hours, despite their having one huge runway, two taxiways and six rapid-exits.

The runway 06-24 at the Naia has only two rapid exits and there are proposals to increase it to four, but the Miaa authorities are reportedly stunned by the cost of construction following a briefing by ATO officials.

However, having four rapid-exits at the Naia would enable air controllers to speed up clearing the runway of just-landed aircraft by 17 seconds, giving them more time to process more aircraft.

On the other hand, constructing these high-speed exits would entail limiting aircraft movements again, which the country could ill afford at this time when we are enticing tourists to come in droves, and proposing an open-sky policy to bring in more of them into our shores, according to airport sources.

It is because of the just mentioned problems that the Naia belongs to a “level 3” airport, which the International Air Transport Association (Iata) defines as an airport that had exceeded its capacity to handle air traffic.

A “level 1” airport means that there are no restrictions for air operations, according to an official of the Airline Operators Council (AOC).

The AOC official said that the paramount concern of air traffic controllers is safety and until the airport officials could find ways to widen the airport compound beyond its present limits or transfer to the Macapagal-International Airport in Clark, all those operating out of the Naia have to bear the burden of long wait before hearing that much awaited “cleared to land, or cleared for takeoff,” command from the control tower.

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday assured that the supply of highland vegetables remain stable and that current prices have not gone up as the cold spell that hit Benguet last week caused minimal damage on vegetables.

LOCAL autoparts makers are pushing for the grant of incentives to car assemblers and parts makers that will participate in the proposed Philippine Utility Vehicle (PhUV) Program and later to buyers of the low-priced PhUV.

THE Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) closed a portion of runway 13-31 from January 15 to February 28 for upgrading, a move that has caused traffic congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).

DAVAO CITY— A joint venture of Filipino-owned mining companies and a foreign firm has shipped out 40 tons of laterite nickel-containing soil in its concession in Magum, Davao Oriental, for metallurgical testing in Australia, en route for a finalization of its feasibility study.