Gov’t eyes new facility beside Naia terminal 3

The government is exploring the possibility of building a new P4-billion facility beside the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) terminal 3, which is currently operating at half its capacity.

Jose Honrado, general manager of Manila International Airport Authority, operator of Naia, said that the transportation department is conducting a feasibility study for the construction of a new terminal that can handle 10 million passengers.

The study may be completed before the end of the year. If proven viable, the government would proceed with its construction in 2014, he told reporters.

The new facility should take two years to complete, he added.

The idea is to transfer all domestic budget flights to the new terminal, so that Naia terminal 3 can focus on international flights, Honrado said.

“People now are more prone to traveling by air because of the budget airlines,” he explained.

Naia, which already faces congestion issues, handled about 31.2 million passengers last year. Honrado said that figure could hit 34 million by the end of 2013.

The new terminal may be put on a 3.3-hectare lot beside terminal 3. The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) hopes to bring Naia terminal 3 to full operational capacity by the first quarter of 2014.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya earlier said that the department is looking to sign a long-delayed  P1.9-billion construction work agreement with Takenaka Corp. of Japan by July 15.

By doing so, the company can address structural issues at terminal 3, which is currently operating at about 52 percent of its 13-million annual passenger capacity, Abaya said.

Honrado noted that current plans for the Naia terminals are in line with the government’s strategy for a dual-airport system, which refers to Naia and Clark International Airport in Pampanga.

“Market forces demand that we cannot close Naia. So the government’s policy now is to let Naia develop to its full extent while [ the government develops] the market of Clark,” Honrado said.