A consortium comprising seven of the biggest Philippine conglomerates has submitted a P350-billion unsolicited bid to the government for the development of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) into a regional aviation hub.
The NAIA consortium—composed of Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc.; AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation; Alliance Global Group Inc.; AEDC, Filinvest Development Corporation, JG Summit Holdings, Inc.; and Metro Pacific Investments Corporation—has tapped Changi Airports International Pte. Ltd, one of the world’s premier airport operators, to provide technical support in master planning, operations optimization, and commercial development.
The project proposal was submitted to the Department of Transportation on Feb 12. The project ensures the capacity of the country’s main gateway to meet continued passenger growth, a consortium statement said.
The project is divided into two phases—Phase 1 includes improvements to and expansion of terminals in the current NAIA land area, while Phase 2 involves the development of an additional runway, taxiways, passenger terminals, and associated support infrastructure.
“Through this proposal, we envision a new NAIA: a fully integrated premier gateway that we Filipinos can truly be proud of, backed by the know-how of an experienced technical partner and the strong synergy of seven homegrown teams. The message is clear: we need this, and we can get this done,” consortium spokesperson Jose Emmanuel Reverente said.
He added that the proposal includes a people mover that would link all three terminals and connect NAIA to the existing mass transport system in Metro Manila, as well as an option for a third runway.
“The proposal involves expanding and interconnecting the existing terminals of NAIA, upgrading airside facilities, and developing commercial facilities to increase airline and airport efficiencies, enhance passenger comfort and experience, and improve public perception of NAIA as the country’s premier international gateway,” Reverente noted.
Passenger traffic to NAIA is expected to continue to grow significantly over the coming years and the existing runway configuration may be unable to accommodate the future flows.
Construction of the additional runway will ensure NAIA is able to serve as Manila’s gateway for years to come by bringing its potential capacity to as much as 100 million passengers per year, the consortium said. The upgrades will elevate NAIA to the level of major regional airports such as Changi in Singapore and Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok and will make it a viable transit hub for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region.
“Given the full support and commitment of each of the seven consortium members and the existing infrastructure already in place, the project implementation can be expedited. Immediate enhancements and capacity upgrades can be expected within a couple of years, followed by further expansion to be completed shortly after,” Reverente added.
