DOTr’s Naia programs pushing through

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said its own programs to upgrade Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) would continue even as crucial and larger rehabilitation proposals from the private sector have stalled.

Those projects include the now-completed repair and extension of Naia’s runway 13/31 and interconnected taxiways, the Manila international Airport Authority (Miaa) said on Tuesday.

Miaa general manager Eddie Monreal told reporters during the event he was instructed by Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade to proceed with their own Naia upgrades.

“We continued with our improvements [despite the proposals],” Monreal said on Tuesday.

Miaa is preparing for the eventual recovery in air travel after demand collapsed during the pandemic. It said repairs and rehabilitation of Naia’s runway 13/31 and its taxiways will allow more flight movements per day.

The program also included the “repair of deteriorated asphalt pavement areas, asphalt overlaying works for the entire runway pavement and exit connections.”

Miaa also repainted the runway pavement markers and repaired deteriorated areas connecting to the Naia terminal 4 apron and north and south taxiways.

Miaa said the upgrade would increase flight movements by 25 percent to 50 per hour.

It said additional projects to be completed by 2022 would help the gateway achieve 60 movements per hour, similar to what private companies had proposed, although it did not provide details.

Monreal said these expenses would be passed on to the private sector partner should the gateway be privatized. INQ