Philippine Asian News Today Vol 19 No 19 | Page 13

October 1 - 15, 2017
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY
BUSINESS NEWS
13
PAL pays P6-b navigation fee
Philippine Airlines said the
Department of Transportation
accepted its offer to pay in full P6
billion in unpaid navigation fees to
the government. 
“After several months of
validation and reconciliation of
accounts, the DOTr and PAL are
pleased to announce that they
have reached a resolution on the
CAAP [Civil Aviation Authority of
the Philippines] and MIAA [Manila
International Airport Authority]
fees issue,” the airline said. 
“One of the overriding
reasons why PAL agreed to
settle is to manifest its trust and
confidence in President Duterte’s
administration,” PAL, owned by
tycoon Lucio Tan, said. 
PAL also assured the
government and the traveling
public that it would always provide
vital airline operations in the
service of the Filipino people. 
President Durterte earlier
threatened to close the Ninoy
Aquino
International
Airport
Terminal 2 if PAL would not settle
its unpaid navigational fees to the
government. 
PAL operates domestic
and international flights at NAIA
Terminal 2. 
PAL earlier said it submitted
an unsolicited proposal to the
government to build a P20-billon
passenger terminal beside its
current hub at the NAIA Centennial
Terminal 2 to expand capacity.
The
proposed
terminal
would be designed to handle 12 to
15 million passenger per year and
would have aerobridges capable
of serving 12 to 17 wide-bodied
and single aisle jets.
PAL
expects
to
start
construction of the new terminal
by December 2020 and operate it
by July 2021.
NAIA’s four terminals are
currently serving hosting 42 million
passengers a year, 12 million or
40 percent more than their design
capacity of 30 million. 
Constructing a new, 89,000
square-meter air terminal north of
NAIA 2 would help decongest the
airport and provide PAL passengers
much-deserved space, amenities
and modern conveniences.        
The proposed annex building
will rise on a 16-hectare area
adjacent to NAIA 2, comprising of
the now-defunct Philippine Village
Hotel, the former Nayong Pilipino
complex and a property owned
by Philippine Amusement and
Gaming Corp.         
Aside from the passenger
terminal, the complex will include
multi-level parking for 1,000
vehicles, a new cargo terminal and
ground service facilities.
PAL, meanwhile, plans more
international flights next year
in time for the delivery of new
aircraft.
PAL president and chief
operating officer Jaime Bautista
said the flag carrier would be
flying the Airbus A321 NEO,
including a special longer-range
version, to enable the airline
to launch nonstop services to
Brisbane, Delhi, Perth, Mumbai
and Sapporo, as well as increase
flights to Melbourne and other
Asia/Pacific destinations.
“Also in 2018, we are
excited to introduce the Airbus
A350 as our new ultra-long-range
flagship, a 295-seater wide-body
America,” he added.
airplane that will help us link
Bautista said PAL would take
the Philippines nonstop to New
York, Chicago, Seattle and far- delivery of two brand new Boeing
flung points in Europe and North 777-300ER aircraft later this year
to complete its fleet of 10 B777s
WWW.PHILIPPINEASIANNEWSTODAY.COM
for deployment to New York, Los
Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto,
Vancouver and now also to London
Heathrow. (D. Amojelar, MS)