THE country will be better off if the government chooses to accept the unsolicited proposal to build a new international gateway in an area in Sangley Point, Cavite, as it is more feasible and economically viable than constructing an airport in Bulacan, according to aviation expert Avelino L. Zapanta.
In plain sight, Zapanta said the proposal of Solar Group-led All-Asia Resources & Reclamation Corp. to build a $20-billion airport in Sangley is better than San Miguel Corp.’s (SMC) $10-billion airport offer in Bulacan.
“My quick view is the Sangley site is better than Bulacan. In distance, Bulacan would be twice farther than Manila. In demography, there will be bigger built-up and populated communities going to Bulacan. A causeway from Manila to Sangley would avoid disturbing such places,” he told the BusinessMirror.
Likewise, an airport in Bulacan might just result in issues on competition, operations and safety, as it is geographically closer to Clark International Airport.
“Bulacan is much closer to Clark. There is likely to be airways-safety concern, i.e., air-traffic congestion, collision. If I recall it correctly, there should be no overlapping aircraft maneuvers within the 40-kilometer radius. The distance between Malolos and Clark would be roughly that,” Zapanta said.
All-Asia, controlled by the Tieng family, has partnered with Belle Corp., part of Henry Sy’s SM Group and China Communications Construction Co., to invest in a $20-billion airport that will replace the aging Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Manila.
Its plan involves the reclamation of 2,500 hectares of land near a naval and air base at Sangley Point. The project includes a new airport for up to 90 million passengers per year. The existing Naia airport will be replaced by new urban development.
According to a study conducted by Danish consulting engineering company Ramboll Group, the new airport, when built, will have two parallel runways to secure future capacity, three terminal spaces, a reserved space for cargoes and maintenance facilities.
Naval Station Sangley Point, surrounded by Manila Bay and occupying the northern portion of the Cavite City peninsula, was a former communication and hospital facility of the United States Navy. The naval station has a runway that was built after World War II, and was used extensively by US Navy patrol planes as late as the Vietnam War. The station was eventually turned over to the Philippine government in 1971, and is currently being used by both the Philippine Navy and Air Force.
The area will also be developed for commercial structures to support the growth of the airport. A seaport will also be constructed near the location.
The $10-billion proposal of SMC’s top honcho Ramon S. Ang, on the other hand, involves the construction of a 1,600-hectare international gateway somewhere in the north of Metro Manila. The airport, which would have doubled the capacity of the Naia, would have included the construction of a low-cost carrier terminal, a train system and a dedicated tollway.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) is also proposing the closure of the Naia, listing the possible locations of the new airport.
A Jica study pinpointed two Cavite-based locations, called Sangley 1A and 1B.
Sangley 1A is located in the same site as the naval station in Cavite. The other one is located near the Central Manila Bay, between the military base and a reclaimed area.
The first option will cost both the government and a private-sector partner less than the second choice. The first one only costs $10 billion, while the other one is pegged at around $13 billion.
The future airport will boast of four runways, which can handle 700,000 aircraft movements per year. It will have a rated capacity of 130 million passengers annually.
The deal is expected to be implemented under the government’s key infrastructure program, mixed with funding from official development assistance.
Congestion problems have been plaguing the Naia for years now. Last year saw Naia’s four terminals reaching past their maximum rated capacity for the first time—as more and more international and domestic flights were launched throughout the year despite the lack of capacity-building projects for the air hub.
Data collected by the Manila International Airport Authority showed that the airport handled 36.68 million passengers last year, 7 percent higher than the 34.09 million passengers the year prior.
Broken down, the airport handled 19.51 million domestic passengers last year—around 2 million higher than the 17.17 million it served in 2014. International passenger count was almost flat.
Transportation officials were sought for further details, but none replied to the BusinessMirror’s queries as of this writing.
1 comment
Quite surprising that news items that are adverse to Ang can still see the light of day. Amazing, when it is well-known how deeply he “cultivates” ties with media.