IMPROVEMENTS and rehabilitation for the Francisco Bangoy International Airport (FBIA) will be more immediate after once Davao International Airport Authority is established.
“The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) is doing what it can with whatever funds that they have. If a Davao International Airport Authority is created, there will be cash back-ups," City Tourism Operations Office head Generose Tecson said.
"However here with our current situation, since we’re still part of the whole system, we’re still dependent, the fund collected from our terminal fees still need to go to Manila. And that’s just the time it gets distributed to other airports under Caap. I think that’s how it works.
But if we have our own managing authority exclusively for FBIA, whatever needs to be improved for the airport, it would be more immediately implemented,” she added.
Tecson further noted improvements of the airport will bring good impressions to Davao City as a whole.
She said with tourism based on the seven-second impression making of a guest, it is important that they never forget once they land here that FBIA is a beautiful airport coupled with good services that Dabawenyos offer tourists.
For his part, Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. president Ronald Go said a modern airport with functioning facilities makes a guest feel upbeat right away than those welcomed by a run-down airport.
“The Creation of a Davao International Airport Authority is definitely a welcome development. With a government owned and controlled corporation focused on improving the facilities and services at the Davao airport, this bodes well for the tourism sector initially and augurs well eventually in attracting businessmen to our city,” said Go.
Surigao del Sur Representative Johnny Pimentel of PDP-Laban recently refiled a bill on the creation of a Davao International Airport Authority. He is also a member of the House committee on transportation and Mindanao affairs.
“Mindanao’s international gateway deserves its own corporate body that can truly concentrate on running an airport with world-class facilities, superior passenger, and cargo services, and highly improved safety and security based on the best aviation standards,” Pimentel said.
He pointed out that the Caap should to be relieved of the “burden” of running the third busiest airport in the country.
Pimentel said Caap should concentrate more instead on its regulatory mission especially that the number of planes and flight passengers is increasing.
Currently, the bill is waiting for approval since the 16th Congress and it has been revived in the 17th Congress with the support of Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri and Deputy Speaker and Davao City Second District Representative Mylene Garcia-Albano.