DOTr mulls airport reopening in areas under general quarantine

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is studying the posibility of reopening airports in areas covered by the general community quarantine (GCQ) for commercial operations to help the country’s aviation industry take off.

DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade has ordered the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and other airport authorities to seriously consider the reopening of airports in GCQ areas to accommodate commercial aviation operations.

“The reopening of airports in GCQ areas to commercial aviation will gradually jumpstart airline operations now hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. This will plant the seeds for domestic tourism. This should seriously be considered,” Tugade said.

CAAP director general Jim Sydiongco said airlines have existing and established air route networks within the Visayas and Mindanao which can be used anytime to put into operation Tugade’s instructions.

Some airlines are readily capable of mounting inter-island flights to serve communities from one GCQ area to another GCQ area using the inter-Visayas and/or inter-Mindanao air routes,” he said.

Using the so-called Hub and Spoke model, Sydiongco said air carriers can use regional airports as an alternative airport hub considering that the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, the Mactan-Cebu International Airport and the Clark International Airport in Pampanga are still under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and as such, are closed to regular commercial aviation operations.

Tugade said with the Hub and Spoke model of operations, commercial airlines with operations normally concentrated in traditional airport hubs such as Manila, Mactan and Clark can now operate in regional airports such as Puerto Princesa, Zamboanga, General Santos and Laguindingan subject to their aircraft compatibility and configuration.

DOTr said Tugade has given instructions to the agency’s air sector to meet and discuss a strategy moving forward regarding the implementation of the Hub and Spoke model.

“We want to operationalize this approach before the end of next week, but of course without compromising health and safety protocols set by the IATF and the Department of Health. We will study as to how this will be implemented carefully and swiftly,” Tugade said.

The ECQ has been extended until May 15 in high risk areas including Metro Manila, while other areas were classified under GCQ starting last Friday.