THE Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), which operates the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, posted losses of over a billion pesos for the first four months of the year due to the grounding of flights as part of the government’s effort to arrest the spread of the novel corona virus.
At the “Laging Handa” briefing on Thursday, MIAA general manager Eddie V. Monreal said compliance with the guidelines of the government-imposed enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) has impacted its operations hard.
“Before COVID, we were averaging 760 flights daily. As of now, even before this suspension of incoming flights, we were down to 10 commercial flights a day. That’s very low, not even 10 percent of our previous operations,” he said.
After two months under ECQ, Monreal said the agency is sustaining heavy losses. “Our airport has been losing heavily. By our most recent calculations as of the end of April, we have seen over a billion drop in revenue,” he said.
MIAA’s sources of revenue include transportation system fees, landing and parking fees, lease of spaces to concessionaires, parking fees, visitor’s stick-on passes, and utilities.
With the country’s primary gateway in lockdown, only cargo freighters are being allowed to use the runways to bring equipment, maintenance personnel, and medical supplies aside from sweeper flights from foreign governments that arrive empty and leave with passengers on board.
Monreal said because of the reduced operation, only three airport police have tested positive for COVID-19 although two of them have turned in negative results after undergoing mandatory quarantine. The third is still awaiting clearance for discharge
By way of preparing for the eventual lifting of the ECQ and the gradual resumption of flights and ground operations, Monreal said the MIAA is putting up safety and precautionary mechanisms to protect the health of its personnel and passengers.
“We are looking at ways of improving our systems in addition to mandatory use of face masks by all incoming and outbound passengers as well as the airport staff, social distancing markers and impermeable barriers at the check-in areas to minimize potential contacts,” he said.
He said NAIA’s frontline medical staff is also being prepared for quick response when needed.
“We look forward to the return to normalization. Meantime, we have to build the confidence of the public.
I am hoping to see a renewal of interest in travel and commercial activities soon,” Monreal said.
`CLEAN AIR SHOULD BE NEW NORMAL’
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade ordered the Land Transportation Office to strictly implement the anti-smoke belching law, especially after the enhanced community quarantine being enforced in Metro Manila until May 15 is downgraded to general community quarantine (GCQ).
A report of Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Institute of Environmental Science & Meteorology (IESM) at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, and Airtoday.ph said air quality in Metro Manila has improved significantly during the lockdown.
Tugade said under a GCQ, more vehicles will be on major streets, which will contribute to air pollution again. “According to the experts, majority of air pollution in the areas observed in the study come from vehicle emissions,” he said.
He said clean air should be part of the new “new normal” in the country, especially in Metro Manila.
He said the LTO should ensure that vehicles comply with emission standards.
“Emissions from vehicle sources greatly contribute to air pollution, especially in urbanized areas of the country,” he said.
“Look at the aerial landscape now. It is very clean. It is very beautiful. Now, we can see from afar Corregidor and Bataan from Roxas Boulevard because of the very clear horizon. You can see the Sierra Madre Mountain Range as a backdrop of Metro Manila. Our skyline is now smog-free and very beautiful,” he added. — With Noel Talacay
