Flights at NAIA to be retimed to ease delays

MANILA, Philippines – Starting next month, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) will implement a new measure on flight movements to address flight delays.

The MIAA, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Civil Aeronautics Board and local airlines have agreed to retime flights to minimize flight delays at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Ten flight movements will be grouped per 15-minute block periods to ensure compliance with the policy of having a maximum of 40 movements per hour.

Scheduled arriving and departing flights beyond 10 movements per block time will be retimed and accommodated in the next quarter-hour.

Flights that are unable to meet their original schedule will be rescheduled to the next block period to ensure that other flights will be on time.

“It is high time for the airlines to set aside their differences to better serve the public. Through effective collaboration, this measure will minimize delays at the NAIA,” MIAA general manager Jose Angel Honrado said.

Executives of flag carrier Philippine Airlines and budget carriers Cebu Pacific, Cebgo and AirAsia requested for more time to review the new policy to align with their internal procedures.

Honrado said consultations would be conducted by the MIAA with foreign airlines and its slot coordinator, Airport Coordination Australia, to finalize the measure.