“…The greedy bring ruin to their households, but the one who hates bribes will live…” –Proverbs 15:27

I hope Catanduanes lone district Rep. Cesar Sarmiento includes a provision to ensure the timely departure and arrival of airplanes, relative to the schedules announced by carriers, in his proposed law on airports.

Currently, flight delays have become a common, if not sorry, occurrence. I estimate these delays have cost hundreds of millions in lost revenue as passengers are unable to leave or arrive on time.

I propose airline companies be made to pay hefty fines every time their flights are delayed, regardless if it is on arrival or departure.

What do I mean by “hefty fines?” 50 percent of the ticket value should be refunded, with the proceeds split among the affected passengers and the government. If this happens, I am sure flight delays will be gone in a jiffy.

The airport in Coron has no A/C

I have experienced these delays as I have been given the privilege of travel by Jesus, our God and Savior, who is God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Last month, I traveled from Manila to Coron, Palawan, and back.

On the trip to Coron, the first boarding time was (if I am not mistaken) listed as 9:05 a.m., this later became 9:45 a.m. By 10:00 a.m., boarding time was around 11:35 a.m. Boarding finally took place around 1:00 p.m.

Confounding the problem was, arriving at Francisco B. Reyes Airport, or Busuanga Airport, which services Coron, the facility had no air-conditioning. Given the majority of people traveling through the airport were foreign tourists, it was inexplicable. That day, every traveler was perspiring greatly as air was being pumped in by makeshift fans.

The airline didn’t even attempt to provide refreshments, coffee or snacks, which are normally offered when flights are delayed.

Government cannot efficiently manage airports

With the way airports in the country are run today, it is clear no government agency has been tasked with overseeing the problem of delayed flights (if such an agency even exists; which, if it does, is a useless body). They often blame delays on “heavy air traffic;” but what about problems with the airport itself? Like the lack of air-conditioning units.

On the flight from Coron to Manila, there was nobody to entertain passenger concerns, especially those unable to make appointments because of flight delays. Even more aggravating, in Coron, there isn’t even a decent restaurant for passengers, local or otherwise, to dine while waiting.

I am sure air travelers would consider it a big favor by Sarmiento if he finds a way to plug these very common and recurring airport problems. Solving these issues could bring more tourists to the Philippines and may even catapult him to the upper chamber or as a possible replacement for Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade.

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