NEWSFLASH

COTABATO AIRPORT OPEN, BUT AIRLINES WON’T FLY THERE

Davao City, June 19, 2000 - The Air Transportation Office has re-opened the Cotabato City airport, but airlines still refuse to there, citing serious security considerations.

"No matter how we want it, still our planes cannot fly to Cotabato because our creditors and our insurers do not allow us to do so," Philippine Airlines president Avelino Zapanta told The STAR.

He said PAL's creditors and insurers are so wary of the peace and order situation in Central Mindanao that they do not want to risk PAL flying its planes to Cotabato City.

"Unless we are assured that the bombings and the fighting stop and that a peace agreement will finally be signed, only then will the airline be allowed to service the route again," Zapanta stressed.

Air Philippines, the only other airline servicing the route, also reportedly refused to fly to Cotabato City because it lacks planes after one of its jets figured in the country's worst air disaster when it crashed last April 19 in Samal Island, killing all 131 passengers on board.

ATO temporarily closed last May 6 the city's airport facility, located in Awang, Maguindanao, following the bombing of its runway using rocket propelled grenades by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas at the height of the fighting between government and rebel forces.

ATO opened the airport anew last June 9 after getting assurance from the Armed Forces and the police authorities than the 12-kilometer radius safety and security zone would be guaranteed.

The airport facility is actually located beside the headquarters, the Army's 6th Infantry Division in Camp Siongco.

The opening of the airport the other week was made upon the prodding of residents of Cotabato City, particularly the business sector, claiming huge economic losses due to its closure.

Cotabato residents still have to travel by land either to Davao City or to General Santos City to take flights to Manila and other destinations.

Land travel in and out of Cotabato City has also been affected by the sporadic skirmishes between the military and the Muslim separatist guerrillas, along the highways linking the place to both Davao City and General Santos City, including the controversial Narciso Ramos Highway.

ATO remedied the problem by opening the aiport using a one-way landing and take-off procedure with aircrafts coming in over the coastal waters of Maguindanao.

"Still, the one-way landing system does not guarantee safety for our aircrafts and our passengers," said Zapanta, adding that PAL was supposed to start serving the route on June 24 but had to call it off.

"There is nothing we can do about the situation at hand. PAL is still under receivership. So, whatever our creditors and our insurers say, we follow," Zapanta added.