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Friday, March 11, 2005
Development of city airport stymied by planning lack
THE lack of an economic plan or feasibility study is reportedly hampering the growth of Davao City's airport, which was originally envisioned to become among the primary international gateways in Mindanao, a city official said.
Nael Cruspero, City Planning and Development Office chief, said the international-standard airport has remained an alternate international airport based on the Air Transportation Office's (ATO) regulations since it became fully operational about nine years ago.
"The economic plan would have set the direction of the airport's development. So until right now, it appears that the government has no real plan to develop the airport," he said.
He said General Santos Representative Darlene Antonino-Custodio followed up the matter with the ATO Central Office but was reportedly told that the formulation of the airport's economic plan is not among its current priorities.
The 600-hectare airport, which was completed in 1996 through the United States Agency for International Development, is among the biggest and most modern airports in the country.
The ATO said the city's airport is equipped with modern navigational aids.
Its 3,200-meter x 45-meter runway is capable of handling wide-bodied jets like Boeing 747's and even the largest US military aircraft.
Nathaniel Nazareno, airport and ATO manager here, said they submitted a proposal last year for the conduct of a feasibility study or economic plan for the airport but their agency has yet to raise its P10 million budget.
"We can do that but we don't have the financial capacity right now. To come up with an economic plan, we need to hire technical and economic specialists," Nazareno said in a phone interview.
Nazareno said the absence of an economic plan for the airport may be "substituted temporarily" by the city or Soccsksargen region's economic masterplan.
He pointed out that the area's development, especially on trade and tourism, would dictate the growth of the airport in terms of cargo and passenger traffic.
Nazareno cited the short-lived General Santos to Manado in North Sulawesi, Indonesia flights last year of the Merpati Airlines that eventually closed down due to low passenger traffic.
With the closure of the Manado-GenSan flights last year, the city's airport now only serves two commercial flights daily. (Allen V. Estabillo)
For Bisaya stories from General Santos. Click here. (This section is updated every Monday)
(March 7, 2005 issue)
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