With reports of privatization plans for NAIA amidst all the issues it has been facing recently—which include a technical glitch during New Year 2023–Senator Risa Hontiveros has warned the public that making NAIA and other Philippine airports private is not a “silver bullet” that can resolve all the issues associated with these air terminals.
”This is an issue of performance and accountability – hindi gaganda ang serbisyo sa NAIA kahit pa pribadong sektor ang nagpapatakbo nito, kung wala namang reporma pagdating sa sistema ng pangangasiwa ng NAIA at ng iba pang paliparan sa bansa,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
To further support her statement, Hontiveros cited a study by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), where 5 out of the 6 best international airports in the world—which include Hamad, Tokyo, Incheon, Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Istanbul, are publicly-owned and operated.
“The majority of the best airports in the world remain state owned. There are plenty of good practices in airport operations for us to emulate, if the government is indeed serious about fixing our airports,” Hontiveros adds.
Prior to Hontiveros’ statement on the reported privatization of NAIA, the MIAA appointed a new OIC after placing MIAA Chief Cesar Chiong under 6- months preventive suspension without pay due to his suspicious reassignment of “285 certain MIAA employees” and alleged grave abuse of authority.
