A 2023 scheme to attract more private capital into the Philippines’ airport system, among other things, might have seemed too ambitious at the time. But it has prompted enquiries for public-private deals, some of which are already in train, while there are two major airport development schemes in and around Manila which, when added to modernisation at the existing airport, should (in theory) give the capital the most extensive airport network of any Asian city.
And before that, the government has gone out of its way to put the air traffic control network right – as it promised it would.
Not everyone is in agreement with the government’s aims, but it is clearly trying to put right a system that had got out of kilter compared to some of its neighbours.
There seems to be quite adequate interest from within the country itself, but a little more from abroad would – no doubt – be appreciated.
The problem is that the country does carry some baggage in that respect.