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MIAA Closes Airport to General Aviation, 
Opens Sangley to Commercial Traffic

1 August 2013

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has issued an order limiting flights of general aviation traffic from using Ninoy Aquino International Airport beginning July 31.

In its stead is the Sangley Airport in Cavite which begins its first commercial traffic since its inception as a military airport by the Americans in 1945.

The restriction was issued by Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya on June 28 under Department Order No. 2013-08.

In a statement by  CAAP Deputy Director General John Andrews during a press briefing this afternoon, the flight restriction covers corporate jet and air taxi landings and take-offs at NAIA to only two cycles per hour, which is equivalent to two take offs and landing from 11 PM to 11 AM only.

General Aviation flights used to have seven to eight cycles per hour, according to Andrews. 

With the opening of Sangley Airport,  all the general aviation flights will eventually be transferred in Cavite, as well as small propeller and turboprop flights soon, making NAIA a jet-only airport as it prepares to accommodate the arrival of 12 widebody jets of both PAL and CEB this year. 

In a separate statement, Angel Honrado, Manila International Airport Authority General Manager, said the new policy will raise NAIA's rated capacity to 42 landings and take-offs per hour from the present 40 with the reduction of Genav traffic.

“We will be able to minimize delays and cancellations,” Honrado said.

Honrado added that NAIA was able to handle as high as 52 events (landing and take offs) per hour in the past but because of high delay incidence they were able to reduce congestion to as low as 36 events in past two years.

NAIA registered an average of 550 aircraft movements daily with 450 planes using runway 06-24, while  runway 13-31 handles 100 planes on average per day.

General Aviation planes causes delay in congested airport because they occupy a lot time on approach and landing due to their speed limitation as compared to the faster jet which can vacate the runway through the rapid exits in less than 60 seconds as compared to the props which takes almost 120 to 180 seconds from final approach to landing.