Super consortium in NAIA bid eyes Changi as partner

MANILA, Philippines — The super consortium of conglomerates seeking to develop the congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is planning to partner with Changi Airports International (CAI), the group behind Singapore Changi Airport, touted as one of the world’s best.

The Megawide-led group, which is also looking to develop NAIA, meanwhile, is maintaining its Bangalore-based partner, GMR Infrastructure Limited, for its NAIA bid.

Industry sources said the super consortium of mammoth conglomerates is getting Changi as its technical partner. Members of this consortium are the Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Ayala Corp., Alliance Global Inc., Lucio Tan Group, Filinvest Land Inc., JG Summit Holdings Inc. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

The super consortium is looking to submit its unsolicited proposal within the first quarter, sources said. The group is seeking to develop NAIA into a world-class airport that is at par with the world’s best gateways.

CAI is a leading consultant, manager and investor in the global aviation market. It designs integrated solutions that enable its clients and partners to fulfill their potential of being world-class airports.

Its Singapore Changi Airport has been named World’s Best Airport by aviation research advisor Skytrax for the fourth year in a row in 2007. Changi airport connects customers to over 200 destinations worldwide, with 5,000 arrivals and departures a week by 80 international airlines.

The NAIA consortium believes that the NAIA would continue to be a strategic gateway for the country and a key hub of airline operations for many more years. The consortium would work with foreign technical partners with proven world-class track records and experiences in airport operations to improve, upgrade, and enhance the operational efficiencies of NAIA covering both landside and airside facilities, it said.

The consortium also aims to upgrade NAIA so it can accommodate an additional 11 million passengers from the current 39.5 million.

It also  proposes increase NAIA’s hourly aircraft movements (landing and take-off) from 40 movements per hour to 48 movements per hour.

Meanwhile, the consortium of Megawide and state-run Social Security System (SSS) will maintain its partnership with GMR. GMR is Megawide’s partner in the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, which they took over operations in 2014.

GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp (GMCAC) president Louie Ferrer said the group has a proven track record in Cebu when they significantly improved airport operations and made the whole process more efficient.

NAIA, which traces its history to as early as 1948, was built to handle 30 million passengers but is currently handling nearly 40 million passengers.