The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is optimistic about addressing airport congestion in the country with the privatization of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and the partial operation of San Miguel Corp.’s (SMC) New Manila International Airport (NMIA) before the end of the Marcos administration.
NAIA’s annual passenger volume is projected to reach 50 million this year, higher than the ideal capacity of 30 million annually, as its daily passenger volume has reached 140,000, up from the 115,000 daily passengers tallied when the Marcos administration took over last year.
Jaime Bautista, DOTr secretary, said in a television interview the congestion at NAIA is one of the pressing issues the agency needs to address.
The National Economic and Development Authority’s recent approval to pursue solicited bids for the P170.6-billion NAIA operation and rehabilitation contract will improve the aircraft movements from around 38 to 40 per hour to 48 to 50 movements per hour to handle more passengers, said Bautista.
Bautista said NAIA Terminals 2 and 3 will also be expanded to accommodate more passengers.
The DOTr aims to open the bidding for NAIA’s rehabilitation by early August and to award the project to the winning bidder before the year ends.
Aside from NAIA’s privatization, Bautista said, the progress of SMC’s land development for NMIA in Bulakan, Bulacan, is almost 70 to 75 percent complete and is expected to be finished by year-end or by the first quarter of next year.
Once completed, SMC can start the construction of the runway and the airport’s passenger terminal by 2024.
“I just had a meeting with Ramon Ang (SMC president) the other day and he said all the plans are on track and financing is available. There are technical people working on it… We are very optimistic the Bulacan airport will be operational partly before the end of the administration,” Bautista said in a television interview.
In early 2021, San Miguel Aerocity Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of San Miguel Holdings Corp., the infrastructure arm of SMC, obtained a 50-year franchise to construct, develop, operate and maintain the NMIA.
SMC secured the green light from the government to start construction in December 2019, following the signing of the concession agreement and the issuance of the notice to proceed.
The airport has an initial capacity of 35 million passengers annually and a target of 100 million passengers per year, once fully completed.
Meanwhile, the country’s first underground railway system, Metro Manila Subway, is expected to start partial operation by 2028 with the completion of a tunnel from Valenzuela to Quirino Avenue.
