NAIA is currently experiencing airside congestion, especially during peak hours. The number of aircraft movements during peak hour ids beyond the level of aircraft delay. Further, air traffic in NAIA is forecasted to increase at an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 6.7% and 3.8% for the years 2010-2015 and 2015-2020.
Congestion in NAIA causes various economic problems such as the loss of valuable time of air passengers, higher aircraft operation cost and cargo delay. In addition, NAIA, being the country’s premier international gateway, plays a strategic role in the development of the national economy, especially in the tourism and trade industries. However, the Department of Transportation of communications (DOTC) has yet to come up with a strategy to minimize the congestion in NAIA.
The objectives of this research are to (1) identify possible airport system strategies for minimizing airside congestion in NAIA; (2) evaluate these strategies; and (3) recommend the most suitable airport system strategy (not prepare an airport development plan).
Adopting the peak hour air traffic demand forecast of the JICA GCR Airport study (2011) and using International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) standards in runway capacity analysis, a demand-capacity analysis was performed to find-out peak when peak hour aircraft demand in NAIA will surpass its runway capacity. Also, in the formulation of the multi-airport strategy to minimize congestion in NAIA, the SWOT analysis and volume/capacity (V/C) ratio analysis were used.
The analysis showed that congestion in NAIA can be minimized through various supply-side and demand-side strategies, while at the same time will be able to accommodate forecasted air demand until 2040.