Airline terminal reshuffle in order at NAIA

MANILA, Philippines — The new operator of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has identified the terminals where domestic and foreign carriers could operate in preparation for the airline reshuffle.

The New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC) is planning to relocate the terminal assignments of airlines operating at NAIA to enhance runway efficiency and expedite passenger processes.

NNIC general manager Angelito Alvarez said flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) would most likely have Terminal 1 as its new hub, while low-cost operator Cebu Pacific would move some of its local flights to Terminal 2.

Budget airline AirAsia Philippines will shift all of its domestic connections to Terminal 4, which currently serves as the jumpoff point for turboprop services.

As such, Terminal 3 would become the main hub for overseas flights of Cebu Pacific, AirAsia Philippines and foreign carriers.

Alvarez said NAIA would continue to suffer from congestion, to the inconvenience of travelers, if nothing is changed in the present setup.

The NNIC plans to build an expansion for Terminal 2 at the site of the Philippine Village Hotel, but Alvarez said this project would take time.

“Remember, the design capacity of NAIA is just 35 million, and right now we are expected to hit 51 million passengers by the end of this year,” Alvarez said in a forum hosted by the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines and San Miguel Corp. (SMC).

“There is really congestion at the airport. If we maintain the status quo, you can just imagine the impact on the passenger experience. We need to do something while the Terminal 2 expansion is still to be built,” he added.

The NNIC, headed by SMC, is scheduled to take over the operations and maintenance of NAIA on Sept. 14 to undertake the P170.6-billion, 15-year rehabilitation of the country’s main gateway.

Cebu Pacific president and chief commercial officer Alexander Lao expressed hope that the terminal reshuffle will be consulted with stakeholders before its implementation.

Citing the recent transfers at Changi Airport that took at least a year to complete, Lao said carriers could comply with airline reassignment as long as they are given enough time.

PAL president and chief operating officer Stanley Ng said the NNIC has to present the pros and cons of doing another terminal relocation.

Ng expressed belief that potential risks have to be identified so that airlines can respond to them the soonest.

Before this development, the Manila International Airport Authority also rejigged the terminal assignments of airlines at NAIA, a program that saw Terminal 2 reverting to its original design of catering only to domestic flights.

SMC chairman and chief executive officer Ramon Ang wants to reorganize airline locations at NAIA to optimize the runway usage and minimize flight delays for the convenience of travelers.