Saturday, May 31, 2008 [ philstar.com ]
Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza confirmed the government’s plan to open the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal III within the year.
According to Mendoza, NAIA Terminal III is among several airports that they plan to open until 2010.
“By 2010, the Philippines will have airports of international standards to ease traffic and reduce business cost,” Mendoza said during the opening of the two-day Expo on International Transportation and Logistics held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
Based on their plan, Mendoza said the NAIA Terminal III, a renovated Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, and the Busuanga airport in Palawan will be opened this year.
In 2009, Mendoza said they are looking at opening the Silay-Bacolod airport, the Laguindingan airport and Panglaw airport in Bohol.
Efforts are also being pursued for the opening of the Zamboanga airport, he said.
Mendoza had earlier shunned setting a time frame for government to finally activate NAIA Terminal III.
Government shelved plans to open the terminal for full commercial operations in 2007 when two foreign engineering firms, Ove Arup and TCGI, recommended the postponement of the terminal’s opening, warning of danger to the safety of the people who will use the facility.
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), for its part, said that structural works had already been conducted on the airport facilities in the past months.
Mendoza said that government has to open more airports with the increasing tourist arrivals in the country.
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