The NAIA Consortium will resubmit a revised and re-sized proposal to transform the Ninoy Aquino International Airport into a regional hub by next month, spokesman Aboitiz InfraCapital Vice President Jose Emmanuel Reverente told reporters yesterday.
The consortium is still renegotiating the project concession period because the government wants a shorter one, 15 years, versus their proposed 35 years.
They may also scrap the second phase of their proposal – the building of a third runway to cut the total project cost from R350 billion to R100 billion, he confirmed.
A couple of months ago (February 13, 2018), the group, composed of the country’s seven biggest conglomerates with a combined capitalization of over R2.2 trillion, submitted their unsolicited proposal to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
The members are 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.
The group is engaging the services of Changi Airports International Pte. Ltd., one of the world’s premier airport operators to elevate NAIA to a viable transit hub for the ASEAN region at par with major regional airports, such as Changi in Singapore and Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok.
The consortium proposed to develop NAIA into a world-class facility and a regional air transport hub by upgrading its airside, landside and air navigation support to accommodate 100 million passengers per year.
Originally, the project is divided into two phases. Phase one includes improvements and expansion of terminals in the current NAIA land area, while Phase two involves the development of an additional runway, taxiways, passenger terminals and associated support infrastructure.
The proposal even includes a people mover to 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,” he explained.
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.
However, the people mover portion of the project is also likely to be scrapped if the concession period is shortened according to the consortium spokesman.