Gov’t mulls over Naia Terminal 2 expansion

The transportation department is now considering expanding the existing Terminal 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Manila as part of a growing list of options that includes building a budget carrier-only passenger “terminal 5” within the airport complex, a senior government official said.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya on Friday told reporters that the plans were being mulled over amid expectations that air passenger traffic would continue to rise, while the congested NAIA—the Philippines’s main gateway—would bear the brunt of the strain.

“We need to find space. There is talk of a low-cost carrier terminal 5, but are we better off doing it that way than expand Terminal 2?” Abaya said at the sidelines of an event marking the full operations status of Naia Terminal 3.

Abaya said that they would now look at the property beside Terminal 2, which is currently being used by flag carrier Philippine Airlines for its domestic and international operations.

Situated on the property is the unused Philippine Village Hotel complex, which Abaya said could be demolished, but only after certain issues have been resolved.

These issues include proper valuation of the land and compensation of its owners, which include the state-run Government Service Insurance System, Abaya said.

“We are just waiting for an assessment from [the Commission on Audit],” Abaya said. “A fraction of [the value] will be paid to GSIS. Then we demolish the [Village Hotel] building and plan the expansion of Terminal 2.”

He added that this approach would help bridge the distance between Terminal 2 and Terminal 1, which would mean “more convenience for passengers to transfer.”

Terminal 2, also known as the Centennial Terminal, was opened in 1999.

It was designed by Aeroports de Paris to handle 9 million passengers annually, information posted on the website of the Manila International Airport Authority showed.

As the department tries to address the congestion at NAIA’s passenger terminals, which handles over 32 million people last year, officials are still studying the best approach to solve the runway congestion, Abaya said.

He said they have formed a technical working group to study the construction of a second parallel runway, which would require the expropriation of about 600 homes nearby.