Airport with at least two parallel runways best solution —MIAA GM

Manila International Airport Authority general manager Ed Monreal on Monday said constructing an airport with at least two parallel runways is the best solution to avoid a repeat of the chaos that ensued after a plane skidded off the runway at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport before midnight Thursday.

"The best basic solution is to construct an airport with at least two parallel runways," Monreal said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

"Kapat dalawa ang runway natin, kapag merong nagkaaberya, the show can still go on," he said.

A Xiamen Air plane skidded off Runway 06/24, causing its closure for close to 36 hours. More than 100 flights were canceled.

Runway operations resumed before noon on Saturday.

"Hindi ho limited ang operations ng runway. Bukas na ho tayo since Saturday and walang closure the whole time for the next few days," Monreal added.

He said it took a while to have the plane removed due to the bad weather, the muddy area where the plane stopped, and the condition of the aircraft.

"Naging complex situation... Hindi kumpleto ang landing gear. 'Yung makinang isa, natanggal. 'Yung lahat ng landing gear, nag-collapse, natanggal," Monreal said, adding that if the aircraft landing gear were still intact, it would have been easy to pull the plane out of the runway.

The MIAA general manager said they are meticulous about maintenance of the runway. It is in fact closed from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. for such purpose.

"We maintain safety ng ating mga paliparan," he said.

Some flights were still canceled as of Monday. There were passengers who have been stranded at NAIA for the fourth day.

Monreal said airlines should attend to their passengers and meet their needs.

"Regardless of whether you are a budget airline or not, it's more for the passenger," he said.

"I know there is an expense but at the end of the day as a moral obligation dapat may konting concern at konting bukal na pag-aaruga kasi 'pag ang isang pasahero naalagaan mo nang maayos especially in these trying times, babalik sa 'yo ang loyalty niyan," Monreal said. —KG, GMA News