The Department of Transportation (DOTr) expects to sign the P171-billion contract to rehabilitate, optimize and maintain the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) by March 15, 2024, an official said Thursday.
DOTr Undersecretary for planning and project development and pre-qualification bids and awards committee (PBAC) chair Timothy John Batan said GMR Airports Consortium, Manila International Airport Consortium (MIAC), Asian Airport Consortium (AAC) and SMC SAP & Company Consortium were prequalified for the NAIA bidding.
Aboitiz InfraCapital, Ayala’s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp., Alliance Global-Infracorp, Filinvest and JG Summit Holdings comprise the Manila International Airport Consortium.
Asian Airport Consortium is composed of Asian Infrastructure and Management Corp., Cosco Capital Inc., Philippine Skylanders Inc. and PT Angkasa Pura II.
Also joining the bidding were GMR Airports International B.V., Cavitex Holdings Inc. and House of Investments, Inc. of GMR Airports Consortium; and SMC SAP Company Consortium, which is formed by San Miguel Holdings Corp., RMM Asian Logistics Inc., RLW Aviation Development Inc. and Incheon International Airport Corp.
Batan said the PBAC began undertaking detailed evaluation of the bids for 10 days from Dec. 27 to Jan. 6, 2024.
He said the department would announce the qualified bidders by Jan. 11 and open the technical proposals on Jan. 15.
The opening of the financial proposals of the successful bidders was tentatively set on Feb. 7, while the result of the evaluation would be announced Feb. 14.
Batan said the PBAC aimed to issue the notice of award on Feb. 15. The deadline for submission of post-award requirements by the winning bidder was set on March 6.
PBAC has until March 12 to check compliance and set the signing of the concession agreement on March 15.
Batan said the winning bidder would have 180 days to complete the conditions before they could start the operations and maintenance of NAIA on Sept. 11.
DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said the modernization of the NAIA with the help of the private sector would increase its capacity to 60 million passengers annually.
Bautista said the airport now handles at least 50 million passengers despite its maximum capacity of only 32 million passengers.
“We all know this airport is already congested with only a capacity of 32 million but handling almost 50 million passengers,” Bautista said.
“In the last few days, we are averaging 145,000 passengers daily during the holidays. We’re expecting that when this airport is turned over to the private sector, we will increase its capacity to 60 million passengers per annum,” he said.
The DOTr and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) serve as co-grantors for the project, which would have a 15-year concession and an option for a 10-year extension.
The project involves capital investment to improve the airport’s facilities to comply with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and other internationally-accepted standards.
This means modernizing the terminals, optimizing and enhancing the capacity of the airport to 62 million passengers a year, enhancing asset quality and passenger experience, improving the information and technology systems infrastructure and ensuring reliable operations over the period of the concession.
The concessionaire will be responsible for both landside and airside operations of the NAIA.
It will be required to undertake works to enhance the compliance, safety and security of the airport, optimize and boost airport capacity to cater to the increasing air traffic in accordance with objective parameters to be provided in detail in the concession agreement.
