The Bacolod airport

This is a follow up email to the one I sent last week regarding the safety of the new airport in Silay compared to the existing airport in Bacolod.

As most of us know by now, about 200 people are feared dead after an Airbus 320 overshot the 1,939-meter runway of the Congonhas-Sao Paulo Airport.

The airport was criticized by pilots and air traffic controllers as "dangerously short and notoriously difficult to navigate, especially in bad weather." Initial findings reveal that the pilot decided to abort his landing and make a go-around for a second attempt, but the lack of airspeed forced the aircraft into a stall and crash into a gasoline station and one of the airline's buildings. The runway also doesn't have a safety area for airplanes to stop should they skid or overshoot the runway.

The airport's location in a populated area further complicated the situation. There wasn't enough space for further development such as an extension of the runway or the construction of a safety area with crushable concrete to slow down an airplane in case it overshoots the runway.

Do we need more accidents to finally realize that the Bacolod Airport has served its purpose and it's time to move on to a much safer airport? It's simply beyond comprehension that some politicians and political wannabes still want the Bacolod Airport to operate in exchange for our safety.

Sincerely,

REX C. HINLO
espaducol@lycos.com
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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