NO, WE are not talking about the United States' Central Intelligence Agency here, the one that President Rodrigo Duterte accused of wanting him dead. It's the Clark International Airport instead, the one with international IATA (International Air Transport Association) code: CRK.
Just before midnight of August 16, 2018, amid a downpour, Xiamen Air Flight MF8667 skidded off the runway at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), with one engine and a wheel ripped off before finally taking a halt at a muddy field.
The Boeing 737-800 from China’s coastal city of Xiamen at first failed to land apparently due to poor visibility that may have hindered the pilots’ view of the runway. In its second attempt to land, it seemed to have bounced on the runway during a hard landing, damaging one of its landing gears and tearing off one engine.
The problem has just started at the NAIA runway as authorities have to immediately evacuate passengers and crew of the ill-fated aircarft, investigate the cause of the accident, remove any debris that might affect other aircrafts and remove from the site the said disabled airplane.
With the gargantuan tasks, other flights from arriving and departing airlines were delayed from their schedule and in such cases, there is CIA.
For quite a number of times, the CIA has been the host to a number of diverted airplanes that cannot land at NAIA and to some thousands of passengers who cannot leave the primary international airport in Metro Manila. When there is serious air traffic congestion, an obstruction on the runway, a damage to NAIA's navigation and landing instruments and inclement weather among others, flights are authomatically diverted to the CIA.
The CIA and the men and women behind its operations are not selfish. In fact, they are very hospitable in taking care of diverted flights, even if they are not emergency landings for airlines having trouble while airborne but are simply diverted for some other reasons.
On its capability aspect, the CIA is very much capable of accommodating airplanes of various sizes and models. In fact, there are airplanes which are too large for NAIA that can land at the CIA because of the latter's bigger runway. There are likewise ever ready emergency crew including well-trained firefighters, paramedics and other technical personnel who can handle emergency landing situations of airlines.
Fortunately, there is Clark, specifically the CIA, a very capable airport that is near and very accessible Metro Manila and can handle various emergency situations involving aircrafts. Fortunately for CIA too that it has Alexander Sangalang Cauguiran, president and chief executive officer of the Clark International Airport Corporation who paved way for the development of the said airport inside the Clark Freeport Zone.
Caugurian is the right man for the right job of furthering the utilization of the CIA in airline travel and its full development in the near future. He is the reason too for CIA having quite a number of flights and airline companies now using the said airport in catering for their passengers.
The low-keyed, well-performing Cauguiran is very instrumental in the development of the CIA to what it is now and what it will be, soon.
Sadly, Kong Alex, as he is popularly known, has announced recently his plans for public service with his bid of serving the people of Angeles City as its city mayor. While he is very much capable too of running the city, its a loss for the CIA should he push through his foray into politics where he is equally much qualified.
Fortunately, there's CIA. Fortunately, there's Cauguiran.
***
For any comments, ideas, suggestions or opinions, text or call The Advocate at 0921-3636360 or send email at dencious@gmail.com