Flight check at airport in Silay set

Flight check at airport in Silay set
BY NIDA BUENAFE of The Visayan Daily Star

An aircraft from New Zealand is expected to arrive in Bacolod City on Sept. 21 to start the flight check in the New Bacolod-Silay Airport, project director Edgar Mangalili of Department of Transportation and Communication said yesterday.

Mangalili said he was informed by the Air Transportation Office that the aircraft will arrive in Manila on Sept. 17 and will conduct some tests at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport before proceeding to Bacolod City.

The flight check is a normal procedure where navigational aids and markers as well as arrival and departure procedures are tested, he said.

The ATO needed to hire an aircraft from a foreign country after its flight check aircraft underwent massive repair, he added. The flight check, and the amendment on the aeronautical information publication are among the requirements for the airport in Silay to be fully operational.

On the access road construction, he said they are waiting for the contractor to submit an accomplishment report which will be validated by the consultants.

Mangalili said he can not give an actual estimate of the percentage of work done on the access road until the contractor submitted the report. On his personal assessment, Mangalili said the November deadline for the completion of the access road is not realistic as of this time. Still, the two-lane road going to the airport will be passable if the November opening pushes through, he said.

He explained that "passable" means that vehicles can conveniently pass by the road even with the construction still going on.*NAB