‘No-fly’ zone for toy planes, kites, birds around Naia eyed

By Julie M. Aurelio
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Airport authorities want the 13-km radius of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport declared a no-fly zone —that is for kites, toy planes and domestic birds.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said a Parañaque City proposal to extend the no-fly area from the existing one-mile radius to a 2.5-mile (4-km) radius was not enough.

In an interview, airport grounds operations and safety division chief Joseph Agustin said the international airport standard is 13-km.

MIAA has forwarded its recommendation to Parañaque City councilor Ricardo Baes, who is authoring the proposal to extend the ban.

Baes, in his initial proposal, sought the extension of the ban on flying kites or remote-controlled scale model aircraft and the breeding of pigeons and other domestic birds to a 4-km radius.

The extension of the ban could avert the worst case scenario of a bird strike affecting an aircraft and forcing it to land in residential areas in Parañaque City, the councilor said.

Airport officials said they were also pushing for a similar ban on laser beams and spotlights because “these structures distract pilots while in the air.”

MIAA officials met with airline executives last Friday to discuss incidents of bird strikes and other similar incidents.

MIAA general manager Jose Angel Honrado had written city mayor Florencio Bernabe Jr. regarding the matter, Agustin added.

“We will be coordinating with other nearby local government units as well, but we first coordinated with Parañaque City,” the official said.

The proposed measure will be the subject of several readings and public consultations before it is approved by the city council.