With the continued surge of the passenger volume at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) plans to start building the fifth terminal next year to expand the airport’s capacity by 22 million passengers yearly.
By yearend, NAIA’s passenger volume is projected to reach 50.2 million, beyond its ideal capacity of 35 million passengers annually.
Ramon Ang, NNIC president, said in a press briefing on November 15 the fifth terminal will be located at the abandoned Philippine Village Hotel. It will accommodate an additional 22 million to over 30 million passengers annually.
“NAIA has long been operating way beyond its intended capacity of 35 million passengers per year. It has been serving around 45 million per year, and this year, we are anticipating reaching more than 50 million. Over the years, this has taken a huge toll on the already aging facilities and equipment at NAIA, leading to inevitable breakdowns and inconvenience for passengers,” Ang said in a statement.
Lito Alvarez, NNIC general manager, said the company intends to start the construction by early next year, as soon as the local government orders the demolition of the abandoned building.
NNIC, together with the Department of Transportation and Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), is currently coordinating with the city government of Pasay to issue the demolition permit.
“From the looks of it, in the next few weeks they will issue a demolition permit,” Alvarez said.
Once construction begins next year, the terminal will be completed in three to four years thereafter, Alvarez added.
For now, NNIC plans to assign Terminal 3 exclusively for international passengers come March 2025, once the renovation of Terminal 4 is complete.
Terminal 4 was temporarily closed for renovation last November and twill reopen in February 2025.
All airlines operating out of Terminal 4, including Sunlight Air and Cebu Pacific (CEB) unit CebGo and AirSWIFT, had transferred to Terminal 2.
By next year, Alvarez said, NNIC will transfer AirAsia Philippines from Terminal 2 to Terminal 4, while some of CEB’s domestic flights from Terminal 3 will transfer to Terminal 2.
NNIC has ongoing discussions with CEB on whether 50 percent or 70 percent of the airline’s domestic flights will be transferred to Terminal 2, Alvarez said.
