The private proponent for the upgrade of the country’s air navigation services (ANS) expects the government to decide on its proposal by November, as it underscores the urgency of rolling out the project as soon as possible.
Comclark Network and Technology Corp. is anticipating a response next month from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) for its P31.55-billion pitch to handle the country’s ANS.
In May, the Department of Transportation (DOTr), together with CAAP, agreed to give the offer a chance by proceeding with the detailed evaluation.
Comclark chief operations officer Benedicto Bulatao is hoping CAAP would grant the project to the company given its expertise in connectivity projects. Comclark is joined by Gokongwei-led JG Summit Infrastructure Holdings Corp. and Lucio Tan’s Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp. in the pitch to upgrade the country’s ANS.
Bulatao said now is the best time to enhance air traffic control in the Philippines as seen in the spike in flight movements, warning that keeping the ANS the same could lead to a repeat of the New Year’s Day crisis in 2023.
On that day, Manila vanished from international airspace for hours as a result of the breakdown in ANS, causing flight cancellations and diversions for at least 56,000 passengers.
‘It is more like a concern of everybody because the government, as we have seen in the past, is in need of an upgrade for the system,’ Bulatao said.
‘We would like to provide the facility because we know how telecom operations work. We have to enable our air traffic controllers, we have to upgrade their technology. This way, aircraft don’t have to stay in the air waiting for clearance to land, which is a cause of delay,’ he added.
If CAAP approves the proposal, Bulatao said Comclark would proceed to negotiate the project. However, it must be noted that the DOTr is also doing a separate study on a similar project with the World Bank’s International Finance Corp.
Under Comclark’s proposal, it wants to operate and maintain all ANS equipment and facilities. It is also eyeing to construct a new air traffic management center and aviation training center.
The project seeks to expedite aircraft flow in Philippine airports; improve safety and innovation; and free the government from the costly task of managing the country’s ANS.
This is not the first time that Comclark has submitted a project of the same nature, with the first try junked due to technicalities in the Public-Private Partnership Code.