3 foreign firms show interest in NAIA runway proj

MANILA, Philippines - Three foreign companies have expressed interest in helping the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) increase the runway capacity of the congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said US-based Mitre Corp., NATS Ltd. of the United Kingdom and Copenhagen Airport of Germany have expressed interest in the P91.4-million consultancy contract for the NAIA runway optimization project.

“The likes of Mitre, NATS, and Copenhagen Airport have expressed interest. NATS in particular did a consultancy in Hong Kong and Singapore and they have increased movements by 20 percent,” he said.

Based on an ocular inspection, Abaya said representatives from NATS Ltd. noted that it is possible to bring the capacity of the existing NAIA runway to between 50 and 60 movements per hour from the current 40 movements per hour.

“We need that kind of expertise to tell us what so we improve our movements per hour,” Abaya said.

According to Abaya, the DOTC would still pursue the project despite two failed biddings.

“We are procuring a consultant. There were two failed bids but we just have to deal with that,” Abaya said.

The DOTC intends to improve the airside capacity of NAIA by increasing runway movements, improving slot schedules, adding infrastructure, and upgrading technology.

Furthermore, Abaya said the DOTC is pushing for the construction of a parallel runway at the country’s premier international gateway. The proposed 2.1-kilometer runway parallel would be constructed south of the existing primary runway 06/24 within the 400-hectare NAIA complex.