A response from Clark on our aviation issue

When we wrote our article on the status of the Philippine aviation industry, I got a lengthy reply from Jaime Alberto Melo, OIC president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Clark International Airport Corp. in Clark Airbase Pampanga. Here is his letter in full:

“Greetings Mr. Avila! Allow us to reply to your column dated Aug. 1, 2019, ‘What’s up with the Phl aviation industry?’ pertaining to the decommissioned secondary runway of the Clark International Airport. The secondary runway was designated as 02L/20R; had a length of 3,200 meter long and width of 45 meters and thickness of 14 inches and was constructed during the time of the Americans for the use of their fighter planes.  It was abandoned in 1991 when the Philippine Senate rejected the US-RP Bases Treaty.

Following the closure of Clark Air Base, including the runways at Clark, base lands were turned over to the Philippine government. Republic Act 7227 or the Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992 authorized the Philippine President to issue a decree converting the military reservation in the Clark area into a special economic zone. The secondary runway was never used for commercial purposes after the Americans left Clark. When the Philippine government took over the entire aviation complex, it began developing Clark airport, including the primary runway to accommodate commercial flights. 

The secondary runway was decommissioned for three main reasons: 1) its structural integrity has already exceeded its useful life and has no navigational landing aids making it unsafe for simultaneous landings and takeoffs; 2) the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) requires that minimum separation distance between runways shall be no less than 1,035 meters. There is only a 430-meter separation distance between Clark’s existing runway and the decommissioned one which does not support independent parallel runway operation in accordance with ICAO standards; and, 3) to prepare for the fulfilment of the Master Plan (Phase 1), specifically the construction of the new terminal building located directly on the north end of the runway.  This new terminal is expected to be completed in June 2020 which will increase the airport capacity by another 8 Million passengers per year.

At present, Clark has only one runway described as 02/20, which is 3,200 meters long and 60 meters wide, with a tapered thickness from 12 to 16 inches, with complete runway equipment and able to accommodate about 20 aircraft per hour (mixed arrivals and departures). In the airport masterplan, Clark Airport will have a total of three parallel runways at ultimate capacity.  The construction of the secondary runway will now be accelerated by the present administration which CIAC will endeavor to complete before the term of President Duterte ends.

In the near future, Clark airport will have two independent runways, hopefully in the next three years.  The secondary runway will now be properly spaced with the primary runway to allow for simultaneous take off and landing. We shall greatly appreciate your consideration of this rejoinder in your future articles. Thank you. Yours sincerely, Jaime Alberto C. Melo, OIC President and Chief Executive Officer, CIAC.”

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Over the weekend, while watching the news on CNN, a big breaking news was happening in El Paso at the border of Texas, New Mexico and Mexico when a gunman opened fire in the heart of its popular shopping area.

Families were buying school supplies ahead of the first day of classes next week, buying groceries or had traveled from across the border in Mexico to shop at the Wal-Mart where 20 people were killed and 26 injured, authorities said. At least six of the dead were Mexican nationals. The suspected gunman was a 21-year-old white man from a suburb of Dallas, more than 650 miles away, El Paso.

Then just 13 hours of the El Paso shooting, another nine people were killed in Ohio. At least 27 people were injured before police shot the gunman dead, shooting took place around 1 a.m. outside on East 5th Street in the city’s Oregon district, a popular downtown area filled with bars and nightclubs. Police authorities identified the suspect as Connor Betts, 24, of Bellbrook, just outside Dayton, Ohio. They say he wore a mask, body armor and hearing protection. Once again, people who always blame the gun rather than the killers want more law against guns, when the reality is that America has a huge mental health issue which Americans have always  denied. Solve your mental health issues in America and there will be less useless mass shootings of innocent American people.

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