MANILA, Philippines – The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) supports the proposed creation of the Philippine Airport Development Corporation (PADC), following a runway accident at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport that affected NAIA operations.

CAAP Director General Jim Sydiongco made the statement at the House committee on transportation probe into the Xiamen Airlines plane mishap on Wednesday, September 5. (READ: TIMELINE: Xiamen Air plane mishap at NAIA runway)

Sydiongco said CAAP is also pushing for the passage of the bill that would create the Philippine Transportation Safety Board (PTSB). 

“Both laws will help us rationalize the development of our airports,” said the CAAP chief. 

The bills creating the PADC and PTSB rare pending at the committee level in the House of Representatives.

If passed into law, the PADC bill would replace the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority, Clark International Airport Corporation, and the Subic Bay International Airport Corporation with the new airport development body.

The PADC would be tasked to oversee the construction, maintenance, and development of all airports in the country and craft projects that would lead to a “reliable and efficient” airport industry.

“We know for a fact that our airports have been overtaken by events, overtaken by growth, overcapacity. Naturally, if we did not anticipate this growth and we introduce much larger aircrafts, the impact and the consequence [are] much, much bigger,” said Sydiongco. 

Meanwhile, several House bills creating the PTSB aim to give the body the task of preventing future accidents, save lives, and reduce injuries and property damages in the event of transportation accidents. 

In the same hearing, MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal told lawmakers there is a need to review and strengthen the Air Passenger Bill of Rights.

He also supported the proposal to have alternative airports apart from NAIA that would have at least two runways.

In a Senate hearing on August 29, Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto had slammed the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for the slow rollout of airport projects to decongest NAIA.

DOTr Undersecretary Antonio Tamayo said the department is  focused on fast-tracking the construction of airport projects across the country.

“We’ll expedite the airport projects so we’ll have a better gateway without limitations as far as runways are concerned, or obstructions are concerned, or productivity is concerned for the passengers,” said Tamayo. – Rappler.com