2nd runway at NAIA eyed

MANILA, Philippines - The government is considering the construction of a second runway parallel to the existing one to double the number of landings and take-offs at the congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya told The STAR this week that his agency is looking into the feasibility of putting up a second runway that would be funded by the national government.

“It is a suggestion or idea which we have to check and process. It will purely be government-funded and implemented,” he said.

The NAIA was built in 1981 with two intersecting runways. Aviation authorities cap the number of aircraft movements at 40 per hour as it decided to move general aviation flights to Sangley airport in Cavite. The proposed construction of a second runway would double the current runway capacity.

Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson said in a separate interview with editors and reporters of The STAR that the congestion at NAIA is caused by the limited runway capacity, not the capacity of the airport’s four terminals.

The government has earmarked P1.9 billion for the rehabilitation of the NAIA terminal 1 being undertaken by DM Consunji.

It also allocated P1.3 billion for the retrofitting of NAIA 3 being done by Takenaka Corp. of Japan to be completed next year in time for the hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

Once completed, at least five foreign airlines – Emirates, Delta Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and KLM – are set to transfer to NAIA 3 to bring down the number of passengers using NAIA 1 to its original design capacity of 4.5 million from the current level of eight million.

Singson said that the government is also putting up a new building within the parking lot in front of NAIA 1 where all stores, restaurants, banks, money exchanges and massage facilities would be relocated.

“It will create an outdoor atmosphere. The terminal building will now just be for passengers. This will help create more room for passengers,” Singson added.

Abaya also said the government would evaluate the proposal of San Miguel Corp. (SMC) to put up a new $10-billion airport at the CyberBay Corp. property along the Manila-Cavite expressway coastal road.

Abaya said SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang submitted a letter to President Aquino the other day discussing the infrastructure improvements in NAIA to improve operations and a plan to put up a new airport.

“Government has always been open. Unsolicited proposal is not illegal or prohibited but again, bias is towards solicited and open transparent bidding, which SMC is open to,” he added.

“We will request a detailed presentation from SMC to get more details,” he said.

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is also considering putting into operation a new international airport by 2027 with the joint development of NAIA in Manila and the Clark International Airport (CIA) in Pampanga because the number of passengers is expected to triple by 2040.