Problems hit NAIA III

The unveiling today of the marker of the new $500 million NAIA Terminal III is expected to be marred by the absence of some foreign airlines dramatizing their stand against "unreasonable rental charges" and "airport fees" in the new terminal.

Philippine Airlines has already made clear it will not transfer its operations to the new terminal since "it would be financially disastrous to us" as it would split domestic and international operations.

Some foreign airline officials said that they would not attend the ceremony to give a clear message that they are against the "unreasonable increase" in office rentals and airport fees which the Philippine International Air Terminal Company, Inc. is expected to charge.

A foreign airline station manager described the office rentals and airport fees as "disastrous to the airline industry" because the increase would be something like 600 percent from what they are paying at the old Terminal I.

"We understand that moving to new offices with state-of-the-art facilities would necessarily entail some increases in rental and airport fees. But 600 percent increase is certainly too much for us," he said.

Others also said that PIATCO has not talked to them to discuss if they were willing to pay the new rates at Terminal III.

A press statement by PIATCO said that they were right on schedule, that they see no hitches in the Terminal III schedule to be fully operational by early 2003. PIATCO won the bid to construct the facility under the built-operate scheme.

The MIAA-NAIA Association of Service Operators (MASO) has described the contract awarding PIATCO control and operations of the new terminal as lopsided against the government.

Airport General Manager Edgar Manda supported the claim of the MASO, saying that he would restudy the contract, particularly the amendment providing that the government will shoulder the foreign loans of PIATCO if the latter defaults.

NAIA Terminal III has been designed to accommodate at least 13 million passengers per year, enabling the country’s premiere airport to cope with the fast-increasing number of air travelers to or from the Philippines.

When completed, PIATCO said the new terminal will replace the 20-year old Terminal I which will be converted along with Terminal II into a domestic terminal. – Rey Arquiza