“NAIA now has an automated parking and wider curbside lanes to improve traffic flow”
A NEW chapter in the history of the country’s premier international gateway, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) unfolded when its operation and management was privatized on Sept. 14, 2024.
The consortium, New NAIA Infrastructure Corp, composed of San Miguel Corporation’s infrastructure arm, San Miguel Holdings Corp., together with RMM Asian Logistics Inc., RLW Aviation Development Inc., and Incheon International Airport Corp., was awarded the contract to rehabilitate and modernize the airport.
From a civil aviation facility in 1948 with just a lone domestic runway and a small terminal building, it has evolved into a bustling airport with four terminals sharing two runways serving millions of passengers.
From January to July this year, it serviced 33,960 arriving international flights and 34,024 departing international flights.
There were 7,096,796 arriving international passengers and 7,392,302 departing international passengers. For the same period, domestic flights both arriving and departing that used NAIA numbered 52,096 and 52,158, respectively.
There were 8,348,024 arriving domestic passengers and 8,186,393 departing domestic passengers.
A year after the transfer of NAIA operations to NNIC, passengers are now enjoying better travel experience.
Very noticeable are the renovated restrooms, improved immigration area, functioning elevators and escalators, faster internet connectivity, new air-conditioning units, additional baggage trolleys, and upgraded power supply system.
Emergency vehicles have also been procured, and a hub for Transport Network Vehicle Service has been designated.
For transfers from one terminal to another, more shuttle buses are now available. Likewise, point-to-point buses are at hand to bring travelers fromNAIA to PITX or to the nearest MRT/LRT terminals at minimal cost.
NAIA now has an automated parking system and wider curbside lanes to improve traffic flow. Decongesting traffic on roads leading to NAIA is also vital to provide seamless access to the airport.
In March last year, SMC opened the new access ramp of the NAIA Expressway (NAIAx) at Tramo, Pasay City.
The 11-kilometer NAIAx connects the Skyway System to the three terminals of NAIA, the Entertainment City in Pasay, Macapagal Boulevard, Sucat Road in Paranaque and Cavite’s road network.
According to SMC Chairman and CEO Ramon S. Ang, the Tramo access ramp provides another option for motorists heading to the airport and other areas in Paranaque City and Cavite.
“We believe it can help relieve overall traffic congestion in the area, and improve traffic flow within the vicinity of the airport,” Ang said during the inauguration of the access ramp.
As the vicinity of NAIA is flood-prone, it is not surprising for traffic to and from the airport to be stalled whenever torrential rains hit the area due to flooding.
Flooding also contributes to flight delays and disruption in airport operations.San Miguel Corporation and NNIC through its Better Rivers Ph collaborated to address flooding in Paranaque.
According to NNIC, around 225,000 metric tons of waste across 4.8 kilometers of river channels and waterways were removed.
The wastes were extracted from the Paranaque River, Don Galo River, Villanueva Creek, and San Dionisio Creek. Flood drains leading to Airport Creek, Cut-Cut Creek, Multinational Creek and Libio Creek were also de-clogged as well drainage systems along Domestic Road and NAIA Road.
The installation of modern drainage system, flood barriers, and a stormwater pumping facility within the NAIA complex are also in the pipeline.
Helping ensure that roads leading to the airport are flood-free and safe, is part of SMC’s larger commitment to serve passengers better.
To decongest NAIA terminals, NNIC is building Terminal 5 for domestic air carriers at the Nayong Pilipino Complex.
The Philippine Village Hotel is currently being demolish to give way to the new terminal. Demolition work is expected to be completed by the end of this month. Hopefully, by Dec. 2027, domestic airline passengers will be passing through the new terminal.
A much-anticipated development before the Christmas season is the upcoming roll out of the facial recognition technology at the NAIA.
This will enable travelers including OFWs, to go through immigration without the need to present passports, IDs, or other documents. They can pass through using their facial features only.
It was reported last month that Singapore-based SIA Engineering Company Ltd. will open a new maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at the NAIA this September which will be operated by its local unit, SIA Engineering (Philippines) Corp. , one of the largest MRO service providers in the Asia-Pacific region.
The opening of the MRO facility at NAIA will transform NAIA into a more competitive and reliable center for travel as well as for aviation-related industries. It is expected to reduce aircraft turnaround time and improve technical support for airlines using the Manila gateway.
“This is a big boost for NAIA and for Philippine aviation. We welcome SIAEP and look forward to working closely with them to improve support for airlines operating here,” Ang said.
With its rehabilitation, modernization and planned expansion, it will be able to increase passenger capacity from 35 million to 62 million annually. Runway capacity will increase at least 48 air traffic movements from 40-42 per hour.
The rehabilitation and modernization of NAIA has an estimated cost of around P170.6 billion. The government will be earning P36 billion annually from the concession agreement between government and NNIC.
Filipinos are hopeful to experience a world-class airport in the near future.
(The author, president/chief executive officer of Media Touchstone Ventures, Inc. and president/executive director of the Million Trees Foundation Inc., a non-government outfit advocating tree-planting and environmental protection, is the official biographer of President Fidel V. Ramos.)
