Manage expectations on NAIA improvements, MIAA tells public

MANILA – The operations and maintenance of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) will be turned over to a private consortium on Sept. 14, but its current operator, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), advised the public to manage expectations in terms of improvements in the country's main gateway.

Speaking in Thursday's Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing, MIAA executive assistant Chris Bendijo was asked what are the changes the public could expect in the airport's operations and facilities.

"Sa mga improvements, we'd also like to manage expectations na hindi naman ito overnight mangyayari ay gaganda at mai-enhance na po ang ating paliparan (Manage expectations on improvements. Enhancements won't happen overnight)," Bendijo said.

He said "small ticket items" that the public could immediately see are the additional toilets, particularly at NAIA Terminal 3; additonal chairs in waiting areas and pre-departure areas; fixing of elevator, walkalator, escalator, generator sets and air conditioning.

As for the "big ticket items", Bendijo said he personally thinks of two – the upgrade of passenger boarding bridges, and the use of visual docking system.

The visual docking system, he said, would allow the automated parking of aircraft, enabling passengers to deplane even there is red lightning alert.

Those are among what he considers "very important" investments that the New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC) would pour in.

However, Bendijo did not provide a timeline for those two upgrades.

Bendijo, meanwhile, affirmed that airport fees would increase starting September 2025.

He added there are still no concrete plans on what would happen to Terminal 4.

"We are still trying to determine really if they will be expanding Terminal 4, or if this would be linked (to another terminal) or if they (NNIC) has a different purpose for this," Bendijo said.

As for the workers, he said, some MIAA employees have already signed contracts with the NNIC this week.

NNIC is composed of San Miguel Holdings Corp., RMM Asian Logistics, Inc., RLW Aviation Development, Inc., and Incheon International Airport Corp.

The group bagged the P170.6 billion public-private partnership project to operate and rehabilitate the NAIA by offering the biggest revenue share of 82.16 percent to the government. (PNA)