theceomagazine.com | 91and domestic air travel to promote the
Philippines as a centre of renowned trade
and tourism.
This year celebrating four decades in the
aviation industry, Eddie has cemented his
reputation as an airport guru in South East
Asia. He started work at Cathay Pacific in
1982 as a Traffic Officer. Rising through the
ranks, he was appointed Station Manager in
1996 until his retirement in 2014.
It wasn’t long before Eddie was pulled
back into the industry
as a consultant for
MIAA during the
launch of a new and
improved administration,
and in 2016 he was
appointed General
Manager based on his
unrivalled knowledge
and insight.
“These varying roles have helped me to
understand the ins and outs of the airport –
I know where to start and what challenges to
look for. Having been in the private sector
for most of my career, it’s been quite a
change to work for the government,”
observes Eddie.
“Decisions cannot be made autonomously
here and there are a lot of procedures to
work through – especially in terms of
maintenance, operations and execution –
before we can come to a solution. Our office
has a different work ethic and a different
set of responsibilities, and I have tried to
complement the government’s desires with
our offering. I have also tried to inject the
same culture I learned from my time in
the private sector.”
Among Eddie’s many reforms was the
revival of the Airport Security Centre in
coordination with the Police Aviation
Security Group, and the creation of a central
desk connecting all departments to provide
immediate response to passenger requests
or concerns. To address the problem of
congestion MIAA partnered with the Civil
Aeronautics Board and the Civil Aviation
Authority of the Philippines to introduce
restrictions on general aviation and aerial
works traffic at NAIA, minimising delays
and increasing the number of commercial
flights per hour. This has resulted in a massive
increase in the frequency of on-time
departures from 47 to 80 per cent.
“We have restricted general aviation to
a certain period in the day and we are in
the process of moving these activities to a
completely new terminal. However, this can
only be done during a very small window
of time,” says Eddie. “When I first started, the
most important task was to uplift the morale
of the people
working at the
airport. We needed
better structure and
openness. I have
also been working
hard to improve
the customer
experience, and
you’re now able
to see the distinct changes and improvements.
I have aimed to build efficient services and
ensure timely responses to matters that need
special attention.”
To enhance passenger convenience, MIAA
has installed new waiting benches; repaired
baggage conveyor belts and air-conditioning
systems; and has given passengers the option
to use regular taxis and buses as well as the
official airport taxi. “I measure success by the
positive feedback we receive from the public.
Currently, many airports aren’t known to be
very hospitable,” says Eddie. “In terms of
customer service, we are in the lead because
our service comes from the heart.”
He may have overcome great adversity
so far, but Eddie is not short of challenges.
According to the International Air Transport
Association (IATA), Manila’s population of
25 million means that the country requires an
airport with a capacity to handle 100 million
passengers. Despite being designed for a
capacity of 30 million passengers per year,
NAIA’s passenger volume topped 40 million
in 2017. IATA has recommended that if »“ These varying roles
have helped me to
understand the ins and
outs of the airport.”
Interview | INNOVATE