Thursday, August 23, 2007 Retaining old airport is costly, PAL says
FIRST, it was the technical aspect coming from former vice mayor Ramiro "Chick" Garcia. Now, it's operating cost coming from Philippine Airlines (PAL).
PAL Bacolod Station Manager Job Lamela denied the claims of the Retain the Old Airport Movement, including Mayor Evelio Leonardia and other city officials that the cost of operating the old airport is affordable.
In various statements and venues, the retention movement and city officials claimed an average of P500,000 a month in operating the airport.
Lamela, in a statement sent by the Office of Congressman Monico Puentevella, believes otherwise.
"Operating the Air Transportation Office tower and its facilities would cost more than P500,000 monthly, the amount claimed by the retention proponents," Lamela said.
The amount does not include cost of repairs and maintenance which therefore should be more than P500,000, the statement said.
Lamela confirmed that PAL Bacolod will transfer its operations at the Bacolod-Silay Airport as soon as it becomes fully operational.
In a meeting with media Monday, Puentevella shared that he had already met with PAL top officials in Manila who said that they had started charting plans for their airport properties as soon as the Bacolod-Silay Airport fully operates.
Puentevella however refused to reveal other details of their meeting saying "Let us wait for PAL to reveal their plans to media." (GABS)
